This book of poems and stories is dedicated to my clients, past and present, and to their families.They welcomed me in their homes at a time when they were most vulnerable - sometimes in a state of shock and disbelief. I wore many hats - nurse, counselor, friend, spiritual advisor, planner and caretaker. Most importantly, I was someone they could trust.Nessa Bedward Sherwood is of Jamaican decent, having moved to Canada with her family as a teenager in the early 1950s. She is a life long learner, former nurse. She later completed higher education programs in Human Sexuality Teaching and Counseling, Gerontology, Drug Administration and Palliative Care. Following her nursing career Nessa, volunteered extensively at Elizabeth Fry Society, Planned Parenthood and Diabetes Society. In 2009 she was nominated as Volunteer of the year for the YM/YWCA Women of Distinction Award for community services. Nessa has been writing poetry and short stories for a number of years. This exceptional lady has been published in Possibilities Literary Arts Magazine. The poem, "A Day with My Father," was read on CBC radio and television. "Bondage," was read at World AIDS Day. Nessa has raised four children and now enjoys her grandchildren and great-grand daughter. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her husband, Edwin Sherwood.