SHOLEH: Thanks for compelling farewell column

As a former resident of Coeur d’Alene, I remember well the thoughtful writings of Sholeh Patrick. Her recent farewell note to the Cd'A community, which I saw on Facebook, was particularly compelling, and I wanted to thank her for it.

We loved our seven years in Coeur d’Alene, and made many good friends during our time there. When we left 2 1/2 years ago, we were already seeing signs of the unraveling of personal relationships, which Sholeh describes in her letter signs of deep divisions based on personal opinions and politics. Cd'A had begun to fall victim to the ugly divisiveness on display all over our nation in the wake of the 2016 elections, a palpable sense of discontent and anger prevailing over the land.

Coeur d’Alene is one of the most beautiful places in our nation, and it is my hope, like Sholeh’s, that the beauty will once again transcend the physical and return as well to the neighborliness and friendliness we experienced when we first moved there in late 2012.

We will always hold our time there in our hearts, and will look forward to returning there for visits, with hopes that the angry divisiveness will wane, and North Idaho can indeed return to the “Simply North Idaho” to which Sholeh referred.

KRISTEN LAHNER

Denver