7Our daily thoughts and actions are challenged with aspects of the past, present, and future. This understanding reached a deafening crescendo when Helen Olson left her lifetime home and moved across the country. The abundance of nature on the border of Vermont and Massachusetts provided a crucial refuge. As she learned about her dynamic new family of plants and animals, the environment became a trusted mentor. Helen had a passionate need to make sense of her past, feel content with the present, and find hope in the future. In her memoir-turned-life-guide, fascinating facts about mother nature, and human nature, melded into valuable realizations about her life-and the lives of many others.