Joretta Wallin slid quietly into a seat. While the others laughed and chatted, she sat quietly with her hands folded in her lap. When we circled into our introductions, she said she’d written poetry all her life, and her one dream was to have a book of her poems, which she wanted to title “Thoughts from My Heart.” It had been her dream for more than forty years. She said no one even knew that she wrote her poetry. She had written poems on the backs of envelopes, and in two colors of ink because the parts had been written at different times. She had poems on her electric bills, on napkins, on any piece of paper that had been close at hand when she felt an inspiration in her heart. She wrote about things that mattered in her daily life, people she loved, and her faith. After we met that first time, I invited her to bring all her writing to me, so we could look at how to create a book from what she had. Jo didn’t type. I took all the bits and pieces and scraps and typed them up for her, without a single change, and gave them back to her. She chose images that meant a lot to her, and together, we made a book. She wanted it to be on 8 1/2 x 11 paper in color, and she wanted copies to give to her friends and family — so that’s what we did. She had the talent. She had the surge. All she needed was the tiniest bit of time, attention, and encouragement — plus some typing. When Jo passed away, her obituary mentioned that she’d enjoyed three activities most of all: her work in children’s homes, singing, and writing songs and poems. When I think of why this work matters, I often think of Jo. Through writing, she transformed experience into words. With the tiniest bit of support, she created a book of her poetry that she could share, so she could share those thoughts from her heart. Since then, I have helped nine writers bring a book from concept to completion. Jo taught me the power of encouraging words.