I read somewhere about the importance of a cheerleader in a child's life - someone who really sees them, notices their accomplishments, and cheers them on. Ideally every child will have more than one of these, but this was about one adult who really stands out at playing that role. It prompted me to examine my childhood and consider if I had one of those and who it was.

Before I was even a twinkle in his eye,My father risked his life To fight in a foreign landAgainst a great evil. Now that evil has taken root here,And grows steadily stronger Nurtured by foolsIn the country that he loved.         FASCISM DOESN’T START FULL-GROWN. Before he was my father, before he had even met my mother, when he was little more than a child - my father put his life on the line to fight against a great and horrible evil.

My mother was 17 years old when she graduated as Valedictorian of the Rhome High School class of 1943. While she delivered her Valedictory to classmates and guests at the graduation, the man she wo…

When I feel like saying something, I sometimes say it here. I hope you’ll let me say it to you.