Pat Conroy was born one week before me and died yesterday. When I finished reading "Pat Conroy, Author of ‘The Prince of Tides’ and ‘The Great Santini,’ Dies at 70," I thought about the degree of contrast between his family life and mine. My dad was a direct opposite of his. Donald Conroy was an abuser labeled Godzilla by his children; Lawrence McCracken was a gentle man known as Daddy by his children.

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” (Psalms 16:6)

Last night Lawrence's only son was honored by the Barclay Press staff for service to Quaker publishing. Current staff invited former staff, local authors, and current board members to gather for an event that was tailor-made to fit my comfort zone. Counting spouses, twenty-eight people were able to attend. The affirmation of my involvement at Barclay Press was generous and a wonderful counterbalance to my awareness of shortcomings.

My greatest fulfillment is not in product produced, but in relationships formed. First, and foremost, is the team relationship that makes Barclay Press effective. It has always been the alloy rather than the metal that has made it possible for Barclay Press to play a vital role in the Friends Church. In the same way that metals are mixed to create the best alloy for a specific purpose, the various configurations of the Barclay Press staff over the years have melted together to create a team that had the strength for the job. The team has always become greater than the sum of its parts. My life has certainly been enriched by these relationships. As with family, in my career "the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places."

The photo below includes current and former staff who were able to attend the event. Left to right: Ron Woodward, Sierra Neiman, Kati Voth, Susan Fawver, Gertrude Ankeny (front), Mareesa Fawver (back), Paula Hampton, Judy Woolsey (front), Dan McCracken (back), Cleta Crisman, Mike Comfort, Kati Matchette, Eric Muhr, Becky Ankeny, Betty Hockett. There are wonderful stories that surround these people and the relationships that pull in a much larger crowd of former employees and writers and board members who have added so much richness to my life.