Growing up in a small community in the Kern County area, there were many local family farms and I have fond memories of joining my Dad on many an occasion to help him out in the fields. He was a simple man with no formal education due to circumstances beyond his control as a youngster, but he was exceptionally wise.

Even though I was number 5 of 6 children, he and I were very close-I was his shadow. I have the best memories of him putting me on the tractor seat when I was only 4 years old, putting it in first gear, and instructing me to manage the steering very carefully so he could hop on and off the trailer to insert metal pipes in the irrigation ditches every three rows. We had the best conversations, and he taught me that hard work, a strong faith, and loving your family were important things to cherish.

There was a farming family in the area that had four children, and one in particular I remember was the youngest named Anita. She and all her siblings were very intelligent and were straight A students. What I didn't realize until much later into our adult lives, was that Anita did not speak until she was 4 years old. The family loved to tell the story that they were sitting at the table one evening, and out of the blue Anita spoke for the first time and said "please pass the salt"...they were all flabbergasted. To this day, she is a very successful careerist in the education industry.

As many of you know, I have a grand-daughter that has been diagnosed with Autism. She does not speak at almost three years of age. I am hopeful and know that one day we will hear her say "please pass the salt".

I wish you all the best in health and wellness, and if you have circumstances that seem impossible, don't give up hope...blessings are headed your way.