In the last very hectic five years, my husband and I have moved three times and both of our daughters have married. We have moved a bit more than the average person, having lived in New York, New Jersey, Georgia, and both Northern and Southern California. Although some of our friends and family have their suspicions, we are not in the Witness Protection program. Our unusual mobility is linked to my husband’s career and that is how we ended up in Lincoln, Sun City Lincoln Hills to be exact.

Our moving van arrived in Lincoln on July 5, 2007, the day after our first view of the Lincoln Fireworks Extravaganza. I love fireworks and the gathering at McBean Park reminded me of the other small town in my life.

We spent our first 10 years in California, living in the waterfront town of Benicia. Benicia, like Lincoln, has both a fabulous fireworks display and a great deal of heart. These last 18 months have made me remember how much I love living in a small town with a heart.

The heart of any small town is its newspaper. To find out what’s happening in Lincoln Hills, I read the Compass but, to keep up with the community at large, I depend on the local paper.

My News Messenger arrives via mail every Thursday and I read the entire paper. Most valuable to me are the stories about the people who live in this town. Reading about my neighbors connects me to my community.

Lincoln Hills in itself is a small town within a small town. The more activities that I participate in, the more people I know.

After years of living in an anonymous larger metropolitan area, I appreciate the fact that wherever I turn, I bump into a familiar face.

But there is more to Lincoln than just Lincoln Hills and, as I expand my involvement into the greater Lincoln community, I learn more and more about the heart of the entire community.

After a short year and a half, there are already many aspects that I love about living in Lincoln.

I love the fact that I drive past a rodeo as I travel to and from Lincoln. I love the fact that, instead of sitting in a traffic jam, my husband drives to work on a winding country road. I love the sound of the train whistle as it passes through our town.

I love the fact that after only a little over a year, I know so many people that I have to pay attention to my appearance when I rush out of the house for a quick trip to the grocery store.

And I love the fact that the people of this small town, whether long or short-time residents, take the time to give back and make a difference in this community.

As I continue this column, it is my intention to highlight the Heart of Lincoln. Ideas percolate through my mind but I welcome more suggestions.

I know in my heart that the more we focus on the good of this community, the better our community gets!

Eileen Marks, Life Coach, can be reached at emarks@aol.com. Read more of her writings on her Web site at www.chinmom.squarespace.com.