Mountain Medley
 
 
Some blew in on the wind,
Others crossed land mile by mile.
Far away places, differing accents,
Some in pairs, others with only a dream.
 
To enjoy nature's playground,
To experience joy in the woods,
To come together as comrades,
To gain peace and contentment
From the spirit of the mountain.
 
We hiked, we laughed,
We shared ourselves with one another.
And in the end, grew in our humanity.
 
Instead of concentrating on our differences,
We learned of other lifestyles,
Of far away lands and in the end,
How much we are alike.
 
Sometimes it takes the simply things
To remind us we are but one.
 
 
Tim Bienkowski
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------
 
 
My father's book is called:
 
 
Radical Gratitude:  And Other Life Lessons Learned in Siberia
            By
Andrew Bienkowski & Mary Akers