IN THE MOMENT shares the simple pleasures of nature and of the community-watching a Saturday morning parade, racing terrapins at the annual fish fry, dipping toes in the creek after a long day of work, and following the whir of a hummingbird under the mimosa tree-as it affirms their power to build peace and joy, ready to navigate life's vagaries with humor and grace. Whimsical illustrations bring the collection's metaphors to life. Immersed in nature through compelling images, the reader will travel from present to past, will face tornadoes and a heat wave, and will examine a centuries' old sequoia. Some of the collection's poems open readers' eyes to the dangers of manipulation, anger, and gossip, while others show with compassion the suffering wrought by mental illness and the healing legacy of loving grandparents. IN THE MOMENT celebrates joy, acceptance, and strength in poems that explore themes of relationships, identity, nature, community, and mental illness.