A Thankful Heart

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. As I think of the things I am most thankful for, my parents come to mind. Of course, there’s the obvious reason – were it not for them, I wouldn’t be here. But it’s much more than that. My childhood was a happy one. So many children can’t say that. For every one of them that can’t, I wish I could have given them a day of mine. My sister, brother, and I grew up on a ranch with parents that loved us, taught us, encouraged us, and yes…disciplined us when we needed it. (I’m almost certain my siblings needed it more than I.) I spent many of my young days riding across the hills on Ginger or sitting on the bank of the Calamus River with my fishing pole. There was always work to do too, but we worked together and it was rewarding to see what we accomplished as a family team. The setting of my new book, “Bound by Secrecy” was largely influenced by the life I lived on the ranch. My parents bought the ranch when I was in the 5th grade. I didn’t know how I was going to leave my friends in the eastern part of the state to move “out west.” I thought my life was over! That was a big trial for me as a 5th grader, but it became one of my biggest blessings. I wasn’t very grateful for the move at the time, but it only took a summer to change that thought around .  So, this week, I just want to thank my parents for the stable upbringing they handed us, and for the wisdom they had to buy a ranch despite the fact that one of their children thought it was the worst idea ever. We are three fortunate kids.