As a morning person, my best hours are early in the day when I observe dawn slowly creep over the sky to warm up the horizon. I love dawn and I love going for an early hike with M’penzi, my faithful basenji.

Today I found an email from a German childhood friend in Guatemala. Feels as if friendships forged early in life remain fresh forever. My friend’s response to Split was heartwarming and most welcome, and mirrored what those who know me personally have to say about the openness with which I reveal my inner conflicts.

But now, there are more people reading Split who have no personal connection to me. Last night, for instance, I heard from a USC graduate student who “Liked” Split’s FB page.  She added a note telling me that her professor had assigned Split as this semester’s mid-term project and that issues in the story were discussed at length. Some areas of discussion were Feminist Theory, and Empowerment and Resiliency. The young woman is completing a Masters of Social Work degree. It warms my heart that Split is now on its way to doing what I had wished it would when I wrote it: create an environment for discussion on social and cultural issues.

So, this morning started out beautifully, and I’ll have to be mindful of how I place my feet as I hike through the wilderness with M’Penzi, whose name means beloved in Swahili.