Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Recent memorable life moments October 13, 2026

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Loving words once posted in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

IN LIFE, SOME MOMENTS stand out. Not for their WOW factor, but rather in the power of simplicity. A smile. A loving word. An unexpected act of kindness. In recent days, I’ve experienced such feel-good moments.

IN MY KITCHEN

The most personal came in a family group hug as our eldest daughter and her family were about to leave after a Saturday afternoon with us. Randy and the two grandkids were hugging each other goodbye when 10-year-old Izzy called for a group hug. So the six of us circled by the kitchen door, wrapped our arms around each other and held each other tight. It was the best moment of the entire day.

I made this sign last winter during the height of Operation Metro Surge. I pulled it from my basement stash, refreshed the letters and carried it on the protest line again last Saturday. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo by Randy Helbling)

ON THE PROTEST LINE

A week later, while standing on the protest line in Faribault holding a resurrected sign with the message to “love each other,” I locked eyes with a passenger in a passing car. She happened to be a Somali woman. Upon seeing my sign, her face spread into a wide smile. This is one of the reasons I protest—to stand up for those who’ve been targeted, hated on, including by our own president.

At that same protest, several middle school-aged boys, walking past on the opposite side of the street and who happened to be Hispanic, waved and smiled in support of our messages. I can only imagine how good it felt for those youth and the Somali woman to see that others care enough to publicly stand up for them. That “love each other” sign is now displayed in my front living room for all to see who drive along my busy residential street.

AT THE GROCERY STORE

While grocery shopping hours after the protest, I spotted a woman wearing a “Kindness Matters” floral tee. I paused to tell her how much I appreciated the message on her shirt. Kindness does matter. And expressing kindness in words ranks high with me.

This is the photo that includes my friend Sharon and her family. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo October 2026)

IN A TEXT

My friend Sharon expressed such kindness to me via text after I shared a recent photo I took of her and her family at the Faribault Fall Festival. In part, Sharon wrote, “You do a lot for Faribault with your articles and photos. So uplifting.” I try. I try to follow the lessons learned from my kind, compassionate and caring mom. A strong woman of faith, she gave back to community through her extensive volunteerism all the while raising and teaching six children the importance of always speaking kindly of others.

A sign posted at the Bell Church last Friday afternoon. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo October 2026)

AT BELL CHURCH

Kindness comes in actions, too. While on a fall color drive several days ago, Randy and I stopped at St. Peter Bell Lutheran Church, rural Waterville. We’ve always wanted to see inside the church. So when we noticed several vehicles parked outside, we stopped. Inside the fellowship hall, three women were prepping for a Smoked Pork Chop Dinner. Trudy paused in her work and took us into the sanctuary. Not only was that kind of her, but, as we were about to leave, she gave us a bag holding two servings of pumpkin ice cream made by the pastor for the fundraising dinner. Trudy didn’t expect anything in return, but Randy gave her a small donation anyway. Later, we enjoyed the flavor of fall in that delicious pumpkin ice cream at Richter Woods County Park in rural Montgomery.

ON FACEBOOK

Yesterday brought another sweet moment when Randy showed me a Facebook photo of our two eldest grandchildren, ages seven and 10, walking down the sidewalk, arms wrapped around each other. Unbeknownst to them, their mom, following behind, snapped the image. “Best buds,” she labeled the sibling photo.

Scott Hoffbeck’s motorcycle lies in the street by our house following an August 26 crash. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2026)

AT THE POLICE STATION

Finally, at 5 p.m. this Thursday, October 15, the Faribault Police Department is recognizing Randy and also Paloma Sanchez for their actions following a late August car-motorcycle crash by our house that severely-injured the motorcyclist. The two likely helped save the life of Scott “Scooter” Hoffbeck, according to the responding police officer. They tended to and stayed with Scott until he was taken via ambulance directly to the local airport and airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. He remained in ICU for several weeks, but is now back in Faribault recovering at a local care center. Scott hopes to attend the public event in the second floor meeting room of the police station. (You are welcome to attend.) More memorable moments are yet to come in that anticipated emotional reunion and in the recognition of two individuals who truly showed what it means to “love your neighbor” by helping a stranger lying severely-injured in the street.

Moments matter. Love each other. In words. And actions.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Why everyone ought to read “Theo of Golden” September 10, 2026

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Book cover sourced online

WHEN I RESERVED Theo of Golden through my regional library system, I ranked as number 300 on the waiting list for this New York Times bestseller by Allen Levi. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a longer reserve list.

But within about two months I had the book, recommended by my dear friend Valerie, in hand. She read it in four days. I finished this fictional story in 10 days, primarily because I took notes to write this review.

One would not necessarily expect a novel published in 2023 to still be so popular. But, after reading Theo of Golden, I understand its ongoing appeal. This is one of those books everyone needs to read. Let me repeat. Every. Single. Person. It’s that good.

Ever since my friend Sue gifted me with this kindness button in the summer of 2025, I’ve displayed it on my clothes or purse. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

EVERYONE HAS A STORY

Goodness, kindness and generosity center the story of octogenarian Theo who arrives in Golden, Georgia, from New York City. He soon settles in, slowly connecting, building friendships, bestowing blessings. He does that by purchasing portraits of locals displayed in a coffee shop and then arranging to meet the subjects beside a central fountain.

And that is where this story takes root. Theo looks into the eyes of the people he meets, draws out their stories, their sadness, their strengths in one-on-one conversations. He listens. He cares. He encourages. He gifts them with their portraits drawn by local artist Asher Glissen.

What’s important to emphasize here is that none of this is about Theo. He intentionally doesn’t reveal his last name. He artfully dodges questions about himself. The focus is always on the individual before him, the face he sees. Theo wants to hear the stories behind each face in every portrait.

This shows part of a quote by Congressman and Civil Rights leader John Lewis displayed several years ago on a residence in Dundas. The complete quote: “Let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING

That is one of the “lessons” that threads through this novel. How often do people try to one-up a story, shift a conversation onto themselves and away from the storyteller? Happens all the time. Theo values every individual, gives them grace, gives them voice. He listens intently, not with the ear of someone waiting to interject his own story.

He listens to Tony, Vietnam veteran and owner of the Verbivore bookshop. He listens to Ellen, who is experiencing homelessness but who is brilliant, artistically-gifted and worthy of hearing. He listens to Simone, a gifted student of the cello. He listens to Minnette with her own secrets and dream of becoming a mother. He listens indirectly to the story of Mateo Mandez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala. Yes, this book is relevant to today.

Theo tells every person he meets during his bestowals of portraits that they are capable of saintliness. Imagine if you heard that. And when he encounters individuals while out and about and engages in “sidewalk chats,” he listens with genuine, not surface, interest.

A LOVE mural in the heart of downtown Northfield, just off Division Street. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

RELATABLE, EMOTIONAL

I cried several times while reading this novel. The book is not without heartache, tragedy, cruelty, violence, meanness, disappointments and suffering. The stories therein are real. Often relatable. But it is a book which, at its core, centers on treating others with respect, kindness, goodness and love.

Encouraging words that once graced a garden area in downtown Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

“DO UNTO OTHERS…”

As I read page after page, story after story in this remarkable first novel by Allen Levi, my mind kept returning to the title, Theo of Golden. Why “Golden?” The answer that repeatedly popped into my thoughts was “The Golden Rule” of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The author quotes Scripture, the influence of Levi’s faith clear in his writing, but not in a preachy sort of way.

Today, more than ever, we need a book like Theo of Golden to remind us to be kind, loving, forgiving. To listen. To encourage. To uplift. To think before we speak or write. To be like Theo, the mysterious stranger who showed up in Golden, Georgia, and forever changed a community with his kindness.

THOUGHTS? I’d like to hear your thoughts on Theo of Golden, whether you’ve read the book or just read my, or another, review.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The kindness of friends August 26, 2026

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A legacy of kindness imprinted upon a tombstone at Valley Grove Cemetery, rural Nerstrand, reminds us to be kind. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

KINDNESS, NO MATTER how big or small, can make such a difference to the recipient. That includes me.

Recently, two friends extended kindness to me in the way of gifts. One gave me an Undeniably Dairy cow-themed tote bag, the other a quilted runner.

Employees with Roselynn Builders, who specialize in rot repair, work to remove and replace rotted wood and windows on our house. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo August 2026)

These gifts came at a time when I needed uplifting during a major exterior house repair. Re-shingling and re-siding of our 100-year-old house due to hail damage should have been a straight-forward project. But then the unexpected discovery of dry rot led to a larger, much more costly, lengthy and complicated fix.

So I’ve, quite often in past weeks, felt overwhelmed, stressed and cranky.

The Undeniably Dairy cow tote bag given to me by my friend Theresa. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

Enter Theresa and Barb and their acts of kindness. Let’s start with the cow tote bag. While attending the recent Passport to Agriculture event at the Rice County Fairgrounds, I noticed people carrying multi-hued, mostly orange, tote bags featuring the faces of three Holsteins. I instantly wanted one.

A Holstein cow on an agri-tourism farm near Farmington. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo May 2026)

I grew up on a dairy farm with that particular breed of cows. I loved the colorful cow bag for all the memories it brought back of living and working on my childhood family farm.

I told my friend and table-mate Theresa, while we were dining on free food provided at the ag event, that I needed a cow tote bag. Not wanted, but needed. After finishing a strawberry shake, off I went to find a coveted cow bag. But I arrived at the dairy barn too late for the freebie.

I hold fond memories of caring for calves, like this one on a Rice County dairy farm. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Theresa later promised she would get a Holstein tote bag for me. And she did. I found the bag hanging on my back door the other day. Busy writing in my office on the opposite side of the house, I didn’t hear Theresa knock over the noises of construction and traffic. She delivered on her promise and made me one happy former dairy farm girl.

The quilted runner gifted to me by Barb. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

Then there’s my friend, Barb, who one Sunday after church showed me an in-progress quilted runner. Barb is a gifted seamstress and quilter, like her three sisters. When Barb finished the toilet tank top runner I admired, she gave it to me. I love it.

The bright yellow flower rates as my favorite fabric in the blocks. It makes me happy. The “On Wisconsin” print reminds me of my second daughter, who attended college in Wisconsin and now lives in Madison with her family. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

I love the varied fabric prints pieced together into 10 blocks by Barb’s oldest sister, Randine, who died in 2024 and who is named after their Norwegian grandmother. The block pattern, with pieces measuring less than two inches, was Randine’s favorite. She snipped pieces from her sisters’ fabric stashes to create many a block in this particular pattern. Barb eventually crafted the runner.

Another of the blocks sewn by Randine and crafted into a quilted runner by her sister Barb. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo August 2026)

The assorted small fabric scraps remind me of my paternal grandmother. Ida, too, was a prolific quilter who used even the tiniest swatches of fabric to craft quilts. So, like the cow tote bag, this quilted runner brings back happy childhood memories. My grandma would take me to her spare bedroom and show me layer after layer of quilt tops she’d sewn. She’d often have a quilting frame set up in her living room, filling the space. I remember hiding under it.

A close-up of the traditional Dresden Plate pattern in the foreground with a second quilt in the background, photographed at a quilt show many years ago in the Owatonna Arts Center. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Quilts hold stories and I was delighted to learn the story behind Barb’s quilted gift to me. Hers is a story about four sisters who, after learning to sew at home and in school, stitched their own clothes and went on to become avid quilters.

As a side story, Barb sewed a Pendleton jacket for her high school sweetheart, Don, whom she went on to marry. A photo of the jacket, worn by another classmate, was published in “The Echo,” the Faribault High School student newspaper. Barb didn’t want Don to know the jacket was really made for him. Her kindness didn’t end with that. While on a school band trip to Chicago in the late 1950s, Barb let a friend wear a bright yellow with orange smocked neckline dress she’d made. Even now some 70 years later, Barb recalls how beautiful her friend looked in that yellow dress.

An important reminder to be kind painted on a stone. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I share these 1950s stories because they illustrate the kindness threading through Barb’s life.

Two friends. Two gifts—a cow tote bag and a quilted runner, both given to me at a time when I needed uplifting. I’m grateful for caring friends. And I’m grateful for kindness.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Reflecting on the power of words August 24, 2026

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While in Willmar in west central Minnesota earlier this summer, I found a bench covered in ceramic tiles. Community members painted 600 tiles for eight benches as part of the public arts project, “Sit with Me.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo June 2026)

WORDS MATTER. And, as a wordsmith, I find myself especially drawn to words that uplift. Encouraging words exist everywhere in everyday life, if we look and listen for them.

I photographed these positive stickers on a car parked at an outdoor concert at Little Prairie United Methodist Church, rural Dundas. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Read them in a book. See them on a window or bumper sticker. Find them on a painted stone. Overhear them in a conversation. Speak them.

To use words in a positive way holds tremendous power. Likewise, to use words in a negative way can cause hurt that runs deep and destructive.

Among the many positive stickers on this car parked at a Little Prairie United Methodist Church outdoor concert was “see the good.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Choose your words wisely. Be kind. Listen. Speak lovingly. Show compassion and care in words and actions. Strive to do good. Look for the best in others.

And if you must correct, counter or disagree, then do so in the gentlest of ways. Be respectful. That is much more effective than anger, accusations and fiery words that inflame.

Just looking at this sticker on a car window made me happy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

We all live in this world together. We are all connected. And as such, let’s remember our humanity, our commonalities, that which builds up rather than breaks down. See the good in one another. Choose love and kindness. Embrace happiness. Live not selfishly, but with concern, care and compassion for others.

This photo of markers outside Content Bookstore in Northfield reminds me that we are all different, all individuals, yet living together on one planet. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo May 2026)

This, my friends, is possible. And it starts with each of us, individually.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

A bouquet of kindness July 23, 2026

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Chocolate chip cookies (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

THE OTHER MORNING, after I finished baking a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, I stepped outside into an ideal summer day. The temp hovered around 70 degrees with a sky that transitioned from sunny to cloudy and back. Freshly-laundered sheets and towels hung on my backyard clothesline. All was good in my world.

But it was about to become better. Not because anything extraordinary happened. Rather a decision I made to pick a bouquet of flowers flipped my day into a feel-good, generous day.

Phlox (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I grabbed a clippers from the garage, headed to my messy front yard flowerbeds and started cutting phlox. The purple, pink and white flowers run rampant among equally untamed ferns anchored by hydrangea.

As I clipped and gathered, I breathed in the strong perfume scent of these flowers that some may consider weeds—only if they are unwanted—but which I love. They are, simply put, lovely.

Once I had a sizable clutch of phlox, I started back to the house. And then I saw her, the young woman walking down the sidewalk towards me. In that moment, I decided my fresh floral bouquet would be hers. I asked if she was heading home soon. She was.

I extended the flowers to the 20-something, told her I wanted her to have the bouquet. I advised her that the phlox were delicate, might last a few days. She thanked me, smiled the most beautiful smile and said she would put the flowers in water as soon as she got home.

A kindness rock found in Montgomery, MN. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Our interaction, our conversation, was brief. Yet, it was deeply meaningful. To be able to give something to a stranger, to extend kindness, uplifted me. I hope the young woman felt likewise.

I watched my new acquaintance walk away with her flowers, then went back to clipping phlox. I gathered a bouquet for myself, all the while thinking about the importance of kindness, even small, spur-of-the-moment acts of kindness that can flip a day for the giver as much as the recipient.

TELL ME: Please share your kindness stories. I’d like to hear how you’ve either given or received kindness recently.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Growing kindness via a children’s picture book July 15, 2026

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(Book cover sourced online)

IF ONE JUDGES a book by its cover, then Kindness Grows is assuredly a book you will want to read. The unique cover features a cut-out, a peek-through that continues through the pages, first as a narrow crack, then a sapling and, finally, a mature, leafy tree.

My friend Sue gifted me with this kindness button last summer and I’m getting more and more compliments on it. It’s one small way I can spread the message of kindness. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

When I saw this children’s picture book written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup on display at Buckham Memorial Library in Faribault, I immediately grabbed it. Both for the novel, artsy cover and for the title. Kindness is desperately needed right now in America.

I’ve found, as an avid reader, that children’s picture books are as much for adults as kids, especially when they carry a universal message for all ages. In this book the message of kindness.

This author-artist smartly uses dark colors in her illustrations to represent negative behavior on one page balanced by light colors, positive behavior, on the opposite page.

Kindness themes this inspirational garden in Pine River, Minnesota, where uplifting words and messages are written on rocks. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

For example, Teckentrup writes about friendship and how mean words can damage a relationship. That’s shown in two children with their backs turned to one another against a dark sky backdrop. On the opposite page, the friends face each other in a sunny garden scene. Teckentrup writes about how encouragement, positive actions and words can grow love.

Another two-page spread shows a group of children arguing in a rainstorm with pointed finger, pulling arms, clearly mad at one another. On the opposite page, they hold hands, play together under a blossoming tree. Words and art reinforce each other.

This author does not shy away from truth when she writes of the widened cracks of anger, of our inability to listen or to try and understand.

Among several kindness signs I photographed in Deerwood, Minnesota, several years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

But she shows the reader how to overcome disagreements and differences, starting with a smile. Simple actions—like care, kindness and love—bridge division. No matter our age, together we can be better. That’s the resounding message shared in Kindness Grows.

TELL ME: What children’s picture book has resonated with you on the subject of kindness or another topic especially relevant to today?

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Adin Castle, a “bright spot” in the lives of many June 11, 2026

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Adin Castle (Photo source: Parker-Kohl Funeral Home, Adin’s obituary)

PHOTO BY PHOTO, I scrolled, stopping halfway through the collection of 265 images. I’d seen plenty, enough to understand that Adin Nathaniel Castle, 19, of Faribault was much loved.

Today Adin’s family and friends will memorialize him, then bury him at Maple Lawn Cemetery. He died on May 24 from injuries sustained in a head-on collision on Minnesota State Highway 3 in Castle Rock Township. The other vehicle reportedly crossed the center line, hitting the car driven by Adin’s girlfriend, Arianna Hess, 18, according to the state accident report. Adin died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation. The couple was on their way out of town on a date.

I didn’t know Adin in life. But I certainly feel like I know him in death based on his online obituary and the accompanying photos and guestbook comments.

Oh, those photos. Frame after frame I see Adin grow from newborn to child to teen, surrounded always by family and friends. At the apple orchard. Fishing. Celebrating birthdays. On the playground. In a canoe. Getting his hair cut. Playing ball. In a Halloween costume. Working on cars. A baby become boy become man. Smiling. Happy. Embraced by so much love.

KIND WORDS

“You raised a good son,” Kathy writes in an online guestbook. Adin is survived by his parents, two siblings and other family.

By all accounts, Adin was a light in the life of many, including customers at Glenn’s Service, an auto repair and tire shop, towing service and gas station in Faribault. He worked there the past three years as an attendant.

Imagine being so appreciated and so valued that you are remembered as bright, smart, polite, respectful, hardworking, helpful, smiling, funny, chatty, caring, humble and positive. Those attributes, among others, are tagged to Adin. To be remembered in such a way speaks to his character.

“A bright spot at the (gas) pump,” notes Kathy.

SO LUCKY…

Adin loved working on vehicles, especially Ford vehicles, his obit reads. He also enjoyed fishing, camping, drawing, star gazing and date nights with his true love, Arianna. She writes: “Adin was always a great man who took pride in his community and his family and I was so lucky to get to love him. I’ll miss you, my love.”

“…so lucky to get to love him.” I love those words typed by Arianna. She shows incredible strength in personal grief, a deep understanding of what it meant to love Adin.

PASSIONATE ABOUT VEHICLES

He was passionate about cars and trucks. His family is taking that love and running with it, inviting mourners to drive their classic cars, trucks or favorite rides in the procession to the cemetery. I expect Adin would have liked that.

The community has rallied in the face of this unspeakable tragedy with kind and loving words and via contributions to a GoFundMe account to help cover funeral and medical expenses. Donors have gifted $11,767 toward a $13,000 goal.

Adin lived only a short while on this earth. But the positive impact he made on others is evident. That much I understand about the young man I never knew, but now know.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

The gifts of flower power & a hug June 9, 2026

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A beautiful floral-themed LOVE mural in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WHEN WE CONNECT, when we give of ourselves, beautiful things happen.

Several months ago, I was the recipient of an unexpected gift. Hours later, I was the giver.

Such moments make life joyful and meaningful, causing us to pause and consider how much our words and our actions matter. For we are, if anything, all alike in our basic humanity. We need each other. We hold the power within ourselves to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Ann did exactly that for me. I was out protesting, as I am nearly every Saturday morning in Faribault, when Ann showed up with a brown paper gift bag. A little background: Ann lived up the hill from me many decades ago and we’ve since bumped into each other occasionally about town. This winter we reconnected on the protest line.

My friend Ann, center, in her flower power sweater at the March No Kings Day protest in Faribault. Another No Kings Day protest is set for 11 a.m.-noon on Sunday, June 14, outside the Rice County government services building in Faribault. It’s part of a nationwide event on June 14. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo March 2026)

At the third No Kings Day protest in March, Ann arrived in a vivid 1960s/1970s vintage vibe sweater she’d crocheted. I loved her flower power sweater so much that I blurted, “I need one!” Of course, I really didn’t expect Ann to craft a sweater for me. But she suggested I talk to her again in the fall, when she had more time for crocheting.

The flower power tote Ann crocheted for me. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo April 2026)

Fast forward a month and there was Ann holding that gift bag toward me on the protest line. “I made something for you,” she said. Inside I found not a flower power sweater, but a handcrafted flower power tote bag. Ann’s unexpected gift brought me nearly to tears as I considered the hours she spent crocheting, crafting something she knew I would appreciate and love. And I do.

Ann apologized that it wasn’t a sweater, explaining that she’d made several already and couldn’t tackle another. That didn’t matter to me. I never expected a sweater. So to receive this surprise from Ann, who is an incredibly strong, kind, compassionate and caring woman, meant a great deal to me. I felt enveloped in the warmth of her kindness and love.

Faribault area farm-fresh strawberries. Photo used for illustration only. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Hours later, I extended kindness to a shopper in the produce section of a local grocery store. When I commented on the price of strawberries, Pam (not her real name) and I commiserated over the high cost of groceries and everything in general. That led to a political discussion and venting from both of us about the current administration, the war in Iran and more. I invited my new friend to protest with me on Saturday mornings.

But Pam can’t. She’s a caregiver for her disabled husband. It’s hard for her to leave him, even to shop for groceries. Pam shared more, which I will keep confidential. But it was enough for me to offer her encouragement and to acknowledge the challenges she faces as a caregiver. Her husband was having an especially difficult day, which weighed heavy on Pam. I could see that she needed affirmation, acknowledgment of her feelings, and support.

Encouragement I received from a friend in a mini card sent years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I could offer all of that to Pam as I, too, have been a short-term caregiver. I didn’t tell her that. This was Pam’s story, not mine. But I tried to uplift her. “Can I hug you?” I eventually asked. Pam accepted my offer. And then we embraced, not in a superficial pat-pat on the back way, but in a tight hug that held the emotional depth of two women who understand the importance of human connections.

Tears brimmed her eyes and mine when Pam told me we were meant to meet that afternoon in the produce department of a local grocery store. I agreed. The cost of strawberries jump-started our conversation. But humanity and my genuine concern for Pam took us beyond casual conversation to a memorable moment. To a hug. Warm and genuine and real. A gift to both of us.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

This is love February 12, 2026

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A love message posted along a recreational trail in Madison, Wisconsin. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

WHAT IS LOVE if not compassion, care and kindness, often privately, but also publicly, expressed? Each holds value.

Roses from my husband. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

On Valentine’s Day, I appreciate a loving valentine, a box of chocolates and/or a dozen roses as much as anyone. But what I value even more is the steadfast love that is part of my daily life. The love that comes in a hug, a kind word, a loving gesture, a caring act, a text.

A look inside a food pantry outside the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

I also appreciate the ways in which communities show love. Neighbors helping neighbors. Nonprofits providing for those in need of food, housing, financial assistance. Volunteers helping in their communities in whatever ways they can, whenever they can. We are seeing a lot of that right now.

This is love.

A beautiful love-themed mural in Northfield. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

And then there’s love-themed art found in public spaces. I’ve discovered love on murals, in signs, even on the back of a car. I often photograph these love messages because I think it’s important to document the positive, that which uplifts, that which connects all of us no matter our differences.

A personal, loving message photographed on the back of a car several years ago at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Love is universal. And how we express and live love matters in connecting us, building relationships, bettering our communities.

One of my favorite photos, taken in Pine Island, shows a loving act. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Love comes in a smile, a door held, a supportive arm offered, an encouraging word spoken. Words matter. They need not be poetic or profound, simply rooted in kindness, understanding, care.

A vintage valentine from my mom’s collection. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Listening, too, is love, something we could all be better at practicing. The same goes for thinking before we speak or anonymously type behind our screens.

Photographed in Pine Island. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

On Valentine’s Day, I hope we can all pause and ponder the ways in which we can grow love. In our personal lives. In our neighborhoods. In our communities. For “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And a whole lot more of it.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Thoughts as we begin 2026 during these challenging times in the U.S. January 1, 2026

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I took this award-winning photo in 2012 at an International Festival in Faribault. To this day, it remains one of my favorite images reflecting diversity in my community. The gathered kids cared not about ethnicity, but only about breaking open a pinata. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2012)

AS THE NEW YEAR begins, I enter it with a whole lot of trepidation, uncertainty and concern. Feeling optimistic right now does not come easily. I fear for our country. I fear for my community. I fear for my Latino and Somali neighbors, targeted by the federal government. Yes, ICE agents are visible and active in Faribault. Though I have not seen them myself, this information comes from reliable sources.

I fear that we are becoming desensitized to the ICE snatchings. I fear we are becoming desensitized to the lies, the rhetoric, the hatred, the awfulness spewing from, well, way too many leaders and even everyday people.

A pin gifted to me by a friend this past summer. I now have it pinned to a small bag that holds my cellphone, my way of getting a message out there. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

What happened to common decency and goodness and kindness? And due process? Why is anyone accepting suppression, oppression, racism, discrimination and more as OK, especially those who claim Christianity as their belief system? None of what’s happening is Christian, not according to my Christian beliefs anyway. Not according to the Bible I read.

Encouraging words posted near a garden in the heart of downtown Faribault many years ago. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

It’s hard, really hard, to remain hopeful in the light of all this. But I try. My mom raised me to be caring, kind and compassionate. She lived that way, helping others through volunteerism and monetary gifts, but mostly through her kind, quiet, gentle and caring spirit. She treated everyone with love and compassion. I wish Mom was still alive so I could talk to her about all of this.

A simple directive on a tombstone at Valley Grove. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

But sometimes the dead still speak to us. I don’t mean that in a literal sense, but rather in the legacies and words the once-living leave behind. It is one of the reasons I meander through cemeteries. Valley Grove Cemetery, rural Nerstrand, is one of those final resting places that offers an abundance of wisdom upon gravestones.

From my personal collection, a painting on burlap by Mexican artist Jose Maria de Servin that depicts peace. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

One particular tombstone stands out for the many positive affirmations it lists under the banner, BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS. (And this means authentic peacemakers, not those who pretend or claim to practice/bring peace.) Under that gravestone header is this broader message: EVERYONE HAS SOME GIFTS THAT CAN MAKE OUR WORLD A LITTLE BETTER. I absolutely agree.

Among a long list of ways we can make the world a better place as listed on a tombstone at Valley Grove Cemetery. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Then, on the massive slab of stone, are written specific ways in which we can make the world better and live as peacemakers. I especially appreciate these two messages: TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. And BE KIND TO ALL AS YOU NEVER KNOW THEIR BURDENS.

Those are simple, uncomplicated directives that seem easy enough to follow. In 2026, it is my hope that we can shift back to being a caring country, where we treat others as we would like to be treated. And that is with kindness, compassion, care and love.

TELL ME: What are your hopes for 2026 in the U.S., your community? What are your concerns for the new year?

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling