One day, a person took a stroll along a path that passed by an awe-inspiring cathedral set in a meadow. Upon passing, this person overheard a conversation between the mighty cathedral and a small, lovely flower - a violet. With a booming voice, the cathedral boasts of its talents and disregards the call of the violet. The violet responds with quiet confidence and speaks of its own gifts. The passer-by continues to listen to these two and by the end of the dialogue, knows that all of us, no matter our size, are important and have different talents to give in service to God and the world around us. Nancy DeGraw McSwane lives in a little town called Riverhead on the east end of Long Island, New York. She has been teaching voice and acting for 30 years. During this time, she has worked for her church's performing arts school as well as giving private lessons. She also writes and directs the school's end-of-the-year shows and seasonal church productions. Because of her teaching, she met and befriended a family who sent her and her husband to a CS Lewis conference called Oxbridge. Sitting under the teachings of Malcolm Guite (a poet, musician, and former chaplain of Girton College) and Joy Jordon-Lake (author of Blue Hole Back Home), Nancy was inspired by their talent and passion. This is also where she was able to experience Ely Cathedral which was part of the inspiration for the poem The Tower and the Flower.
