Mom has been bugging me all year, wanting to buy a piece of altered book art from me, but I wanted to make something special for her as a Christmas surprise. It was such a labor of love to create this book.
Ever since I was little, I can remember my mother going to her sorority meetings. Not just meetings, but events, parties, and state conventions. This was a big deal that included the whole family, and it’s been a thread of her being most of her adult life.
They were transplants in Newport News and she somehow got hooked up with this group of women who were in a philanthropic sorority, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, and asked her to join them. ESA is not a collegiate sorority as most of us would think, but a group of post-graduate women who are organized purely in order to benefit other people.
These ladies started small, with such efforts as Pedal for Pediatrics, a bike-ride-a-thon that raised money for the pediatric unit of Riverside Hospital. They held parties for a home of disabled children, which I was corralled into attending, even though those kids truly scared that ten-year-old me.
And it continued with dedication to a cause that would last a long time: St. Jude’s Hospital. Over the years they have collec
ted so much money for St. Jude’s that my mother was given a VIP tour when she was finally able to visit them.
What’s beautiful is how my mother blossomed in this organization, from being her chapter president to being the state president and even participating at the national level. Whenever my parents moved (Newport News to Houston to Wisconsin to Europe to Louisville), my mother would find the local ESA chapter and join them. She would sort of take over, in her nonchalant way, becoming a leader and a driving force for serving in the community. 
At 70+ years of age, my mom is still a focal point, holding the annual sorority parties at their house!
So….getting back to this recent work of book art:
I started by searching for a book about St. Jude’s hospital. I found the book of Danny Thomas’ story–perfect!
I wanted the book to have more detail than my typical folded books, so I employed a different method that allowed for a more elaborate design. I was able to create the Greek letters, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, along with the yellow jonquil, the flower of ESA. One nice quality of this piece of art is that nothing has been cut out/removed from the book, so the pages can be unfolded and read in entirety, then refolded to retain the outward image.
In fact, this Christmas, Mom and I sat quietly together by the tree for a few hours Christmas night and did just that. We read through the book, learning the intimate details of how Danny Thomas was inspired, and how he eventually managed to open the St. Jude’s hospital. 
I call this piece “A Life of Giving.” One could think that’s because Danny Thomas spent the better part of his life giving to the children and families serviced by St. Jude
‘s Children’s Hospital.
But it’s actually a tribute to Carola Lina, who has enjoyed a life of giving to those in need. She is the embodiment of service to others. She is such an inspiration!
And the beauty of it is that for her, well, it’s just what you do. She is so humble about the impact she’s had for the past 50 years, while the rest of us are truly in awe.
A Life of Giving. That’s you, Mom!
