Several weeks ago I visited my family in the Philadelphia area. It was so good to reminisce and just enjoy their company. While driving back from a great health food store to my sister and brother-in-laws' home, we were singing old tunes in four-part harmony with four generations in the car. How fun and priceless is that?

I figured for this season you might enjoy a good dose of teary-eyed inspiration. It came about while my niece, daughter, grandson and I took a trip to the Academy of Natural Sciences, the oldest natural science and research institution and museum in the Americas. It's located at 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. We toured an amazing dinosaur exhibit and visited the fossil prep lab where my grandson was able to hold a real velociraptor claw (Was he stoked!) and had his picture taken with palentologist and naturalist Jason Poole.

My daughter and her son decided to take in the butterfly exhibit, while my niece and I went in the Reference Library. We wandered about looking at the rare old books featured in glass cases. A real treat were the books of Karl Linne' from the 1700's who is considered the father of binomial nomenclature-classifying plants and animals. His works stand to this day. I gazed upward and noticed a number of oil portraits hanging around the walls of the library. I couldn't help but wonder who the only woman was amidst all those men. I asked the librarian who informed me it is Dr. Ruth Patrick, a past president of the Academy. She talked about Dr. Patrick being commissioned by the Pentagon during WW11 to identify a submarine of unknown origin by the marine life affixed to the bottom. She quickly added, "DR. PATRICK IS 101 AND STILL COMES TO WORK EVERY DAY!" What an accomplishment! (Can you perhaps at age 30, 40, or 50 years old see yourself working in your same job 50, 60 or 70 more years and loving it?) Feeling very appreciative that we were able to share in this wonderful bit of knowledge, we regrouped outside the library doors.

As we started walking down the hall, we spied the back of an older, distinguished-looking woman just rounding the corner at the end of the long corridor. We shot a quick glance at each other, and tore down the hall. Could it be? The elevator was closing, and we all piled in. "Are you Dr. Patrick?" I asked.

"Why yes, I am."

I remarked about the librarian giving us a little of her background. She proceeded to speak to us with her vibrant eyes and beautiful warm smile of her favorite trips to South America. She was as sharp as a tack and as engaging a person as you could meet. As she spoke, our eyes welled up with tears. I couldn't help but think of the history she has experienced and the wisdom she has gained in this life. Though our ride in the elevator was brief, we were truly touched by this chance meeting.

When we arrived home, we looked Dr. Patrick up on the computer. She is a world-renown scientist honored by past presidents and many organizations throughout the world for her outstanding contributions. When you begin to read about her individual accomplishments, every one is outstanding. Just some small snippets: Her pioneering research established the fundamental principle on which all environmental science and management is based. She taught limnology and botany at the University of Pennsylvania for more than 35 years and wrote more than 200 scientific papers and a number of books on the environment, including Power So Great, Colors of Tomorrow, and the series Rivers of the United States. Dr. Patrick served as the Advisor to Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson on water pollution and Ronald Reagan on acid rain.

Our hats are off to you, Dr. Patrick, for making such an indelible, important mark in what truly was a man's world. You have used your gifts and talents to the service of mankind and are a fine steward of our planetary home.

For more on Dr. Patrick, please check: here and here as well as here and here.