I was hit with breast cancer, triple negative, when I was about to turn 74. A year of my life was going to be taken dealing with that. I also felt powerless about politics. I needed to do something locally to get myself to a better place. I put the word out that I wanted to sit down and talk with people who don’t look like me, especially people of color because I don’t see them in daily life in Fairhope. I wanted us to sit around the table and talk. 60 people showed up at Ruby Tuesday the first time. That touched other people’s hot buttons, too. Every Tuesday we started meeting. I learned of issues that I didn’t know were problems in Fairhope like stormwater draining. It has become the Hope Community that meets once a month.

While I had breast cancer, people in this town prayed for me. People I didn’t know came up to tell me they prayed for me. People reaching out and connecting with me was a gift. This was new for me and my life changed at 75. It was my turn to pass connecting on and racial conciliation became important.

I am perfectly happy saying I am 75, but I am not going to let it press me down. The sky is bluer for me. I am much more appreciative of the good things that are happening around me.