Ask Maggie Rose: Managing Life's Sweet Sorrow (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781439287521)

In the years that I have known Maggie Rose, my respect for her has deepened. Of all the people I have known, she ranks as one of the highest for her integrity, caring, and thoughtfulness. This has come out in the numerous conversations we have had relative to her efforts to take care of her ailing mother and the difficulties of moving to a new area to live and work. Her ability to engage and reflect simultaneously is truly a remarkable gift. Perhaps it is the depth of her life experience that has taught her this. From a childhood filled with change and creativity, to motherhood, to businesswoman, to artist, to grandmother, and now a grown child in the position of mothering her own mother she has gained knowledge as well as humility. With all this, she has worn many hats, fulfilled many expectations, and seen life from numerous vantage points. Yet with all this, she has never lost track of the inherent goodness of each person and each moment. With this ability to immerse her passion and intelligence into her interests, while also maintaining a position of observation, comes wisdom. She has that kind of wisdom, so rare these days, which allows one to pursue with all of one's resources, emotional and intellectual, the things that one loves the most while at the same time never losing perspective on one's self and one's place in the world. It is her passion that drives her to constantly strive for excellence. Yet it is her compassion and caring that invariably draws others to her. Though perhaps she can be a bit hard on herself, her striving for excellence, and at times, perfection, only comes because she cares so much for the people she loves and the world around her. In short, her passion comes from her desire to make a difference. Not just in the lives of the people close to her, but in the world as well... Dr. John P. Harkness Psy.D