In January of 2023, I left Atlanta, Georgia and stepped into a season of life that has had a profound impact. Since then, I have had the opportunity to connect with an extraordinary woman—Mrs. Dorothy Witherspoon, my mother-in-law.

Over the years, my husband started making more frequent trips to his childhood home in San Francisco to check on her. The stays got longer as he discovered that she needed more help. I spent two weeks with him there in November of 2022. We both went home mid-November, but he returned in December. When he told me that he had to leave in January, I offered to take his place. After being there myself, I knew that he would be worried about her being alone, so I stepped in. He accepted my offer, and I was honored that he would trust me with her.

Since I am my mother's daughter, I spent the first three months diving into the nooks and crannies of Mom Witherspoon's home, organizing and doing what I could to make her space more livable. She had lived alone for thirty-three years, and she was no longer able to go up and down the stairs as freely as she could in her younger years. I went to work.

I didn't expect what I learned as I began to piece together her story. I had never lived with a senior citizen, and I quickly discovered that when you outlive most of your family and friends, you amass quite a collection of funeral programs. I couldn't fathom relegating this woman's amazing life to an obituary one day. That felt like an injustice.

She told me stories of helping to start a children's ministry when a young pastor didn't have any help. She recounted stories of the neighborhood children as we looked out from her garage one did. She shared the sweetest stories of my husband as a young boy. There were so many stories. I was in awe of the sheer scope of her influence.

What I thought would be two months, turned into indefinite. I became her 24-hour caregiver. Taking her to doctor appointments became one of my favorite things to do. It was always a joy to watch hospital staff as they looked at her charts and did the math. One technician asked her for the secret to her longevity. She responded, "Being kind."

Her love of flowers, her investment in children of all ages, and her life of faith were the inspiration for Miss Dorothy's Garden: 9 BEE Attitudes to Grow By. With the mental health crises facing our children today and her nearly 40 years as a psychiatric professional, a children's book just made sense. This isn't just a book. It's a guide to kindness and Dorothy Witherspoon's legacy project to honor her extraordinary century of service.

Among other things, I am a poet, but I've never written a children's book. Writing this book was a leap of faith in every way. I didn't have two nickels to rub together, but as I started, it came together in such a beautiful way. The process deepened my resolve to honor Mom and contribute something meaningful back to the community that shaped such a remarkable woman.

I am so excited to share Dorothy Witherspoon's story and the opportunity to not just inspire our family, but anyone who reads this book. You can help us by donating, ordering books, and sharing missdorothysgarden.com with your family and friends.