Artist Reply: Thank you Marguerite for your wonderful comment. Although I am aware of my writing skills, photography is a relatively new venture that has blossomed after about a year when I first bought a digital camera. Working part time has afforded me the opportunity to explore my visual talent. I hope to continue to expand what you generously refer to my "gift" and continue to pair my photographs with writing. I appreciate your very thoughtful comments.

Artist Reply: Olga, I am very touched by your profound comments. I live in Los Angeles and have treated many anorexic young women who want to look like the celebrities they admire. The denial of the stages of aging gracefully and growing more beautiful with wisdom and the wrinkles that are well earned by living a live devoted to a value system of integrity and respect for the elderly is rarely seen in the United States, especially in cities where the external package and youth and idealized. Botox injections, laser surgery and plastic surgery to present a false self are so common that people don't take the time to think about real beauty that shines from inside of deep souls. Without a beautiful character, the women who wear masks after making a career of looking young look empty and hollow when the don't have a rich inner life to show the radiance of genuine beauty despite one's age. Although our external beauty fades, our spiritual beauty grows with age and without those values people often live very unfulfilled lives devoid of the virtues that add grace to our lives as we move through the passages of the normal aging process. You understood the metaphoric visual and text of my message as I would expect since you radiate beauty from inside with that special glow that only those with wisdom and a noble value system have that grows more beautiful with age. Yes, there is so much pressure on our children to remain eternally youthful to compete in our self-absorbed society lacking in the values that people like you have that you refer to as "immigrants grief." One of the saddest facts is our lack of respect for our elderly when they are revered in other cultures and families would never think of tossing them away and putting them in residential care and nursing homes without the warmth and support of family. Part of the problem is the lack of extended family in our society. The famous archeologist Margaret Mead studied primitive cultures and tribes where the nuclear unit had much less pressure since the children were raised by a large extended family. She said it "take a village" before Hilary Clinton and that is demonstrated when we look at the values and the healthy children raised by the values of primitive tribes where extended familes and the elderly are highly valued. Mental illness is pervasive in our society given the pathology of our values and the care we relegate to others to raise our children. This is pervasive in the celebrity population who hardly see their children or who adopt so many more for their public image than for their wish to help the many children in the world that desperately need parents who have been orphaned by the ravages of war and disease. I have an inside view of these destructive patterns in parenting having contact with wealthy and celebrity parents who neglect their children. I don't think that the marriage license is as important as having a license to have children after the trauma of divorce that is more the norm than the exception. When the high wears off of the madness of "falling in love" wears off, men and women seek the sensation of infatuation and like celebrities like Rod Stewart continue to marry the same young blond woman over and over again with children who live without a father. It is crazy. Even the words, I am mad or crazy about you. I have gone nuts over him and can't sleep since I am madly in love. Falling in love becomes an illness that simulates the same chemicals found in the drug ectasy that leads people to get married in Las Vegas with an Elvis impersonator and wake up not knowing the person next to them is their husband or wife. I appreciate you comments about the the metaphor referring to our need to "open the MAILBOX and read the messages" since so many people live in denial and don't see the reality and beauty of the aging process and the tragedy of the vacant lives of the elderly that are cast away like yesterday's newspaper. Your painted envelopes must be so beautiful and I admire your bond with your mother and how much she must value your special "letters to your mother." I will look at your portfolio to admire your wonderful letters and also to see the Elegy you painted on New Years Day. I respect your work and look forward to seeing more of your exceptional talent in the new year. When I read you comment a misspelled work was so very amusing. You said you "value my onion" when I believe you meant opinion. The onion is a progressive and satiric newspaper that is very funny and full of great information. I am glad you value my"onion" since I have a book of articles from my Onion. LOL. Thanks again for your wonderful comment. I think I wrote a dissertation in response to your commentary.