I'm not a mom, so I don't know what it feels like to be in labor. I have experienced what it's like to labor on projects though. Not the same thing, of course, but I can imagine that there are moments in both when you say, "Why am I doing this, again?"

For me, there's a lot of satisfaction that comes from the end result--the book, the project, the concert, the new friendship. Still, personally I don't need a lot of acknowledgment from the outside to keep going. I just do what I do.

That said, when I get a card like I received after our salon concert from the composer Ramon Fuller and his daughter Ramona, it makes me feel like a lot of people did some great work. I'm sure they won't mind that I'm sharing it here:

Dear Glen,

We can't thank you, Jared, the Ringtones Quartet, all the other performers and the Mormon Arts Center enough for the wonderful performance last week. It was thrilling to hear Dad's music again after so many years.  We are so grateful to you for arranging it.

Warm regards, Ramona Fuller Stromness

I also want to thank you, of course. It was a very good thing you did for me! Again, thank you very much!!

Ramon Fuller