MARLENE RATLEDGE BUCHANAN

lives enthusiastically as a woman , wife , mother , teacher , and writer . She is quick to say that she planned to marry someone old and rich but only got old . However , Marlene knew on her first date with Snell , her husband , that he was the one for her to the point she proposed . After his refusal , she considered getting him pregnant . They are parents to a beautiful olive skin son . James suffered a lack of oxygen during delivery , resulting in him having special needs . She refers to James ' condition as a special gift . After thirty-four years of being in public education , Marlene retired in 2007 . In the classroom , she earned the name " Ms . Rat ," which garnered her a collection of rat figurines and collectibles over the years from her students . As a Southern Humorist , Marlene has entertained readers with her observations about life through her column , Hey Y ' all , published in the Gwinnett Citizen in Georgia since 2015 . Marlene returns with a wonderful and inspiring story about her son and his natural talent of connecting with animals , “ Special People - Special Talents ,” in her unique commentary column , “ Anything Goes with Mama Marlene .”

DR . RANDI D . WARD

is our editor-in-chief extraordinaire ! At 73 years young , she has been a “ mother ” to hundreds of children during her 37 years as a Georgia Language Arts educator . Her teaching journey has taken her to Cairo , Egypt , where she started several language schools teaching ESOL . Randi is also an African animal advocate and environmentalist . She is an honorary president of World Peace Forest ( Africa ) and USA Regional Director for Africa Nomads Conservation . Her passion for life and humanity has earned her many awards and honors . Randi has recently received the IAOTP Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into their Hall of Fame . Her life ’ s philosophy is “ Believe ! Don ’ t dream big ; dream bigger ! The sky is the limit , so reach for the stars !” Randi has traveled to 60 countries on four continents . From one of her destinations came her memoir that encapsulated her view of what life is all about , Because I Believed In Me - My Egyptian Fantasy Came True . Today , Randi is a master editor and visionary book consultant . By the way , as a mother and forever teacher , she is making sure I am “ crossing my t ’ s and dotting my I ’ d ”… Ha , Ha , Ha !

ANN PAPAYOTI is the founder of SkyView Coaching . She is an international life , leadership , and relationship coach , speaker , writer , educator , and co-author of The Gift of Shift , an intimate self-help book . Ann is an Expert Contributor for YourTango Media and has been featured in MSN , Google , Yahoo , and Apple News . She has spoken at conferences , summits , and commemorations , both live and online , throughout North America . Ann captivates , educates , and inspires thousands through sharing her personal experiences of loss , transition , and triumph and helps them attain their personal and professional goals . Known among her friends as the go-to girl if you are experiencing problems , Ann could have started her own ‘ Dear Annie ’ column decades ago . Little did she know then that listening with empathy was an invaluable , innate skill that would become the foundation of her life ’ s work . Ann ’ s remarkable life journey and passion for family love are hallmark examples . Ann

returns with very insightful advice on understanding multigenerational work culture and rediscovering ourselves to help “ Done in Dallas ” and “ Lonely in La Blanca ” in her advisory column , “ Dear Annie .”

6 | Inspirations for Better Living • September 2023