Reflection

Written By Joe Dziobek

As 2025 comes to a close, I am saddened by the recent shootings of the Brown University students and the MIT professor, innocent victims of a person who allegedly harbored a grudge against the school and perhaps was jealous of his past university classmate.  It would do us all good to remember that famous line uttered by Clarence the angel in “It’s A Wonderful Life” that “no man is a failure who has friends”. So often, it is the amount of money we have, the size of the house that we live in, or the type of car that we drive that we think defines us.  Yet in the end, it is the number of people who care about us and we about them that means the most.  What I have learned in my life is that old friendships are never gone, no matter how much time and miles might separate us; they are in our hearts for safekeeping.  So too are the new ones we have made, though age and culture might differ; in the end, we are all striving to use our talents to the best of our ability.

I am looking forward to the publication of “Like A Love Song” in the New Year.  I am a novice at this craft, but I have learned much from Maia as we have taken this journey together with mutual trust in our process. I, too, am excited to see where this journey takes us, and it has given my spirit a much-needed boost for 2026. I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Joe Dziobek

Joseph Dziobek (Joe) has been writing songs and poetry for over half a century.  A social worker by profession, he dedicated his life to helping those with mental illnesses and substance use disorders improve their quality of life. Joe is passionate about his belief that the arts can have a transformative impact when incorporated into the treatment milieu. For thirty years, he did just that, helping thousands of clients through the non-profit that he started and developed into a highly respected multi-state organization. In 2013, Joe was honored by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare at their national convention with the prestigious Impact Award for “Visionary Leadership” for conceiving of “Studio 35,” which encapsulated his approach.


Since retiring in 2014, Joe has continued writing and performing his songs at open mics all over New England.  Through the release of his song “Butterflies and Rainbows”,  he met Maia Jansson, a gifted illustrator, and decided to publish “Like A Love Song”, a collection of twenty of his favorite poems with Maia as the illustrator.  He lives with his wife in the tiny village of Snug Harbor, RI. You can reach him at joesnug2014@gmail.com

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