From the time I was in my teens, I have been writing poetry. I started writing more poetry while traveling the world at the age of 18. My poems consist of everything from portraits of my students, friends & family, to rhyming couplets of travelogues and statements about the world. I wish to thank all of the people in my life who have inspired me, but especially my mother, Maxine, and my husband, Martin Strauss. My mother would listen to my poems as she cooked dinner at night and was always enthralled with what she heard, telling me how smart and talented I was...just the kind of encouragement a writer needs. Martin has been my Rock and my total support for the last 31 years of our marriage. However, I also want to thank the many students who inspired me and the many wonderful trips around the world that has exalted me to great heights, as well, and helped me to understand more about human nature and the world around us. We definitely have more in common with the rest of the world than differences. I only hope mankind, in general, realizes this before it's too late!