This year we have chosen two winners of our Father's Day contest. Although their entries were very different, we found each of them meaningful and are delighted to share them with you. Please join us in congratulating Lyn and Linda who will each receive a free coaching session from us. We thank all of our readers for their thoughtful contributions.

Lyn Godin writes about her father and how he made a difference in the lives of those around him.

"In the 50s, my father was a school principal of a small school - grades one to nine. Winters are long in northern New Brunswick and there wasn't much to do outside in the wintertime back then. So, my father decided to build an ice rink on the side of the school. He started a boys' hockey team and coached it and with the help of a few of the boys, he would flood the rink every night, and shovel and scrape. He built a little hut with a pot-bellied stove and benches where we could warm up and change our skates. Every fine night he would go to the school for a couple of hours and play music out of loudspeakers for everyone to skate to. It's where I learned to skate. I don't remember any other father giving up their time to go out and help him but that never stopped him. He made a difference. All the students looked up to him and he was my dad! This is one of my most cherished memories (of many, I have to admit) of my father."

Our second winner, Linda Burbidge, wrote a poem honoring her dad at the end of his life.


I knew it was your time to go.
You were tired, no appetite for a fight,
Even for your life.
As the blood pooled in your brain,
And we waited for the end,
I told them you were dreaming
Morphine dreams of your perfect last day
In the pale prairie sun.


In your last years
Fear shrank your world
Until all that would fit was pleasant and mild.
All edges rounded, no bittersweet or sour,
No risk or surprise, no harsh words admitted.
I scrutinized and judged your choices
But never aloud.


I never cried at your funeral
Even as I gave the eulogy and watched
The grief of others flow.
Even as I sorted the artifacts
Of your meticulous life, and imagined
A sweet earnest graduate student
Recording everything.


And only now do I weep
Unpredictably
At a glimpsed silhouette,
An old man in a peaked cap
Shrunk behind the wheel
Of a too large car.

We hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day and were able to connect with your family members.

We are happy to announce the winner of our Mother's Day contest. Here is the winning essay, written by Sheri Fisher, who will receive a spring bouquet to enjoy, compliments of NourishingRelationships.blogspot.com and HerMentorCenter.com.

"My mother has been gone now for twelve years, but the most significant thing I think she taught me was to be independent.

When I was growing up she always worked at an outside job. Therefore, I was left on my own a lot to fend for myself, whether it was making my own lunch, or just entertaining myself. As a child I always resented the fact that she was never around so that we could develop a relationship and talk.

As I got older and married, had a family, divorced and remarried, moved to another city all by myself to develop a new life, remarried again, one day I had a light bulb moment! I stopped those old tapes in my head about how I was left on my own so much as a child, how my mother was never there after school with the homemade cookies and milk. I realized the fact that because she did teach me to have such independence, I was able to carry on in my life the way many women of my generation could not have done, such as moving to a new city all by myself without knowing anyone and building a whole new life, traveling to Europe alone and having a new adventure and loving it. Things like that were only possible because I was, and still am, so independent.

I wish my mother was here today so I could tell her how much she actually did for me and to thank her and tell her how much I loved her and can now appreciate what she did for me."

Sherri responded to our award by writing: "Thank you so much for this honor. I am very excited about winning the essay and the bouquet. Thank you again and I wish all the mothers in the world a very Happy Mother's Day."

Stay tuned in for more information about our upcoming Father's Day contest. You'll have a chance to honor your Dad and the lessons you have learned from that important man in your life. We'll announce the winner in our free newsletter, Stepping Stones, and here on the blog next month, where we'll publish her essay. And our champion will again receive flowers from us. So send us your reminiscences about your Dad and what he taught you. Email us at Mentors@HerMentorCenter.com.

The past few months just flew by - and here comes fall, with its urgent demands for focus. The end of summer always makes me feel a little nostalgic. What about you? Take this opportunity to reminisce, write down your thoughts and share your story with others.

Back to School Memories:

Ah, remember the back to school days of youth? How about taking us back with you by writing about your favorite memory? You are welcome to write about the anticipation and excitement of beginning another year, or plunking yourself down in a classroom full of strangers wearing brand new clothes all the way down to your underwear. Maybe you loved having all new school supplies, or couldn't wait to get to the playground and catch up with friends you hadn't seen all summer. Whatever it is, take us back to the good old days. Send us your story by entering our contest.

Deadline: September 30, 2007
Prizes include:
$50.00 cash and a new membership or renewal to the National Association of Baby Boomer Women. For guidelines, visit www.BoomerWomenSpeak.com

If the writer in you can't wait to break free, check out the following opportunity - Boomer Women Speak JUNE-JULY Writing Contest:

A Lesson I've Learned

We've all had them. Those “life lessons” that make us stop and think, possibly see the world, our environment, or even ourselves in a different light - the lessons we'll never forget. Some call them “Aha” moments.

Who was your mentor? Was it a teacher, a parent, or your best friend who helped to open your eyes and heart to learn? Maybe even a boyfriend? Or was it man's best friend, a pet? No matter who taught you or how you learned, we all agree that, over time, they are truly unforgettable. What is that one particular lesson that stands out in your mind? Did it change the course of your life? Or maybe it wasn't life-altering, but it helped to shape the person you are today. Whatever you lesson, send us your story by entering our contest and win prizes!

Deadline: July 31, 2007

Entry Fee: NONE

PRIZES:

The winner's story will be placed in the Our Voices section at Boomer Women Speak and she will receive the following:

$50.00 CASH!

FREE membership or renewal for the National Association of Baby Boomer Women, NABBW, the only association devoted to addressing issues concerning 38 million of the healthiest, wealthiest and best educated generation of women to ever hit midlife.

Baby Boomer's Almanac, by Tim Brolus

What Happens Next, by Chloe JonPaul

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Throne, by Georgia Richardson

Guidelines at www.BoomerWomenSpeak.com