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Banks portrays a path to living life to its fullest, relying on friends, family, faith, and fortitude. Her collection opens with an exhortation to “worship and praise” God since he can communicate and comfort through such small elements as a flea, a breeze, a hug, and a prayer. She includes advice, especially for women, who may experience the ability to cope and function in all circumstances. The book’s sections address the trials and blessings of deep friendships, family cohesion, and church sharing.
For example, in the section entitled “The Angel Memorials,” she remembers and extols the virtues of those who have passed, such as Christine Corbin Edger, a loving mother and wife who fell ill but always cared for others and displayed her strength as she “prepared her last Thanksgiving dinner by herself… from a wheelchair….” “Second Thoughts” arrays the advantages of contemplation and caring between couples and singles, declaring that “love is a flame,” and the cross can be a key to unlocking the soul. The aging process is addressed in “Gracefully Silver,” utilizing metaphors of gemstones, while “Secret Closet” depicts virtues of private prayer, including one touchingly current offering for addressing God “After the Hurricane.”
Banks, who had a long career as an educator and also mentored new teachers, brings her far-reaching, inclusive respect for others to this collocation. Whether presented as poems or prayerful prose, Banks’ messages remind readers that their lives will combine everything from “the smallest miracle” to “the most grand prophecy.” Written over ten years and offered to a public audience after some “gentle nudging,” Banks’ insights propound an intuitive, spiritual, and practical perspective that she hopes will endow readers with means to finding, as she expresses in her introduction, smiles, peaceful moments, and a sense of agreement.