Dotsie— I intended to post a reply much earlier today, but life intruded. How wonderful!

You know what I love? I love that each woman in the book is someone’s favorite. That’s what I hoped would happen when I set out to write. I wanted to choose a wide enough cross-section of late-blooming women so that every reader would find at least one story that struck a chord.

I’m so glad you mention Mary Orlando. Her dream of opening a bed & breakfast, as humble as it might appear in comparison to Linda Bach’s (the doctor), Irma Elder’s (the CEO), or Patricia Symonds’ (the anthropologist), is no less important. As is true with these other women, the fruits of Mary’s efforts have rippled outwards, and she’s touched more people—and in a more profound way—than she could have ever imagined. She’s even touched you, Dotsie! To me, she’s an archetypal mother figure, a woman for whom family, followed by church and community, are by far the most important things in her life. These are Mary’s passions, and she's honored them.

Our culture and the media, which both follows society and leads the way, tends to put a value judgment on one’s choice of work and leisure. In its peculiar hierarchy, being a matriarch these days isn’t as lofty a vocation as being a senator or stock broker. But I didn’t want to elevate one person’s choices over another’s. I’m tickled that Evelyn Gregory—at age 71, no less— went from being a retired bank vice president to becoming a flight attendant, whereas Maureen Horkan went from being a flight attendant to becoming a prosecutor. Each person’s dreams are sacred. And, to quote Paulo Coelho, I truly believe that in following them—no matter what they are—we help heal “the soul of the world.”

Ironically, Mary’s divorce, which was initially so devastating, turned out to be a blessing, which is where the tapestry story comes into play.

I visited Mary in August. She was hosting a “barn razing.” The place was filled with family, friends and neighbors working side by side. It was like a scene out of a movie, only better.