<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">To My Ancestors</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">To you, whom I did not know,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">To you, who took the steps</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to create your future</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to carve a new path <span class="" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">as your world</span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;"><span class="" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">turned upside down.</span><span class="" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">To you, who left your country,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">your soil,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to brave the seas</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">and take a chance on life—</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to start over</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to have hope</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to linger in thoughts and dreams and aspirations.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">To you, who created the footsteps</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to continue life</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to want more</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">to nurture and bring forth a new generation.</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">To you, who let me be born</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">out of the desire of the human soul,</div><div class="" style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="margin: 0px;">I thank you. </div></div><div class="" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Sherrie Lovler</div></div></body></html>