17 October 1965 Winchester, Virginia
Note To My Older Self:
The days will come when this sacred name will kidnap you with nostalgia, fill your heart up, and make you yearn to see her once more. You will long to be in her shadow along with the many faces and places that raised you from childhood to young adulthood. She made you who are…you are going to inherit her spirit and soul. Now you are so young and maybe cannot feel it or see it, but you will witness it becoming so. Her name throughout your lifetime will be a seal upon you.
Her name has many different meanings. She was named at one time “the bread basket of the Confederacy”. She was called by the Native Peoples “Daughter of the Stars”. Later in your life, you will assign her a name synonmous for “home”. Her name is…the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. You will always love her. You will always be near to her. You will always revere her as a sacred person and place.
Note: This is where I grew up. I had to leave her when I was young to move to Pennsylvania. I miss her and visit her often.
