Dear Editor:I have learned that friendships can fill voids when family brings disappointments. I have learned that grandchildren are God's gift of a second chance. I have learned from myself that change is necessary. I have learned from the events of September eleventh 2001, that tomorrow is not a given. I have learned from my husband that love brings comfort. I have learned from my cat to nap when the tasks at hand are too trying. I have learned from my homemaking that I don't have excuses to be bored. I have learned from my addiction to chocolate that some things are out of my control. I have learned through my writing that I have something to say. These are the life lessons that I hope to keep present in my mind as the New Year comes in with its new adventures and challenges. I wish all my sisters and friends in my Memoir Group, Live Wires, and Writer's West Workshop a New Year full of rewarding discoveries. -- Yolanda Adele, Downey

********** Published: January 13, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 39