In the Editor's Notes, Julia writes: I have always known Nathanael, or Nick, Habel—born on the third of July, 1919, in Orange County, Virginia—as Dad. In almost a century of life, he has epitomized, since his youth, Christian servanthood at its highest, at home, in the churches he has served, and in society.



My brother, Glenn, and I both regard him as a “larger than life” figure who in his lifetime has displayed as much if not more moral courage and fortitude than almost any figure we have known or read about, particularly with his desire to include all of God’s people of whatever race or class as brothers and sisters. We both, independently, arrived at the conclusion that he has been a real life Atticus Finch in Virginia, though our Dad has been no work of fiction.



Writing poetry has been a lifelong joy for Nick, and his desire in asking that this book be published, is that this volume be shared both with friends and family.



Julia Habel Thompson