Give Learning a Chance

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." --Michelangelo Buonarroti

To me, this should be introduced to high school students. This quote is saying that our greatest fear isn't trying to reach the stars and to go for an extraordinary job; it's people aiming for too low of jobs, and only aiming for the tree branches. They aren't wiling to give school and/or life any kind of effort. Most kids want the easy way out, and do as little as possible to achieve that goal. They just skim by on the bare minimum. If kids would realize how important a good college/high school education is for their future, then I'm sure that we would have a lot less high school dropouts, and ten times more students wanting to succeed at a good-paying job of their choice. Sure the stars may seem out of your reach, and you think that you will never get to where you want to be because you think you're not smart enough... but in actuality, if you work hard enough and have a true desire for something, then you will stop at nothing to achieve your goals in life. No obstacle, no hindrance, no small little thing will delay you. You will want to learn all you can, and mediocrity is not an option for you. Aim for what's high above you, and the ground will never seem the same to you again.

-- Samantha Torbert

What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up

I always wanted to a Zoologist, artist, professional hunter and fisherman. Since I was little, I was always fascinated by animals, just how cool they were, and how important they are to humanity. My love for animals has shaped me for who I am. A Zoologist, which are scientist who study animals, has always what wanted to be. I love going out in the woods catching frogs, and when I was eight years old, I caught lizards at my grandparents house. Ever since I watched the Crocodile Hunter, I have been fascinated by animals. I can draw animals pretty good and I have always enjoyed hunting and fishing since I was two years old, it runs in my blood.

~My Life~

As I look back on the years and remembering all the memories that have been made, I do have to say, I wouldn't change it any other way! I remember when I first started kindergarten and now look, I am a senior in high school. From getting potty trained to earning my licence, it has been a joyful ride. My life can definitely be describe as the Batman rollercoster at Six Flags. It has had its ups and downs but in the end the ride was worth while! I am now a prospering woman, legal adult, and about to take on the biggest opportunity of all, being on my own. I want to introduce to you my life and the woman I have become today!

October 25, 1991 was a day of remembrance for my whole family. Every birthday mamma would always remind me of that day. "I remember like it was yesterday, your sister and I was snuggled softly in the hospital bed with you while your daddy distributed pictures left and right", she said. My whole family overflowed the room and honestly, I do think I got nauseated from being passed from one pair of arms to another. My sister, of course, was my caretaker. She was four and as you all know most four year olds always want to take on the position as being mom. I think she thought I was a baby doll!

Eighteen years have flown by! If it wasn't for my past, then I would not be the woman I am today. I have gone through many tough times but yet my family has always been there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. Now as I am finishing up my senior year I want to thank the ones who have been there for me throughout my life. My mama and daddy have been my main survivors and have helped me grow up. My sisters and brother have done everything to keep me on the right track. These are the people who have helped me make treasured relationships and unforgettable moments!


*Anna Eubanks*

My Ideal Job

When I look into my life in years to come I want to have a purpose. I want to be remembered for going out of my way to help others. Most people's ideal job would be an all-star athlete, an actress, or a singer. But my ideal job is to be a nurse. Nurses are always ready to lend a hand and help others in any way possible they can. Whether it's a cold, skinned knee, or a terrible car accident nurses are always on stand by ready to do whatever task or life saving skill is needed. Ever since I was asked in kindergarten the common question;What do you want to be when you grow up? My response has always been a nurse. I'm so fortunate to live on this earth and be a healthy human being. I've prayed so hard about it and I feel like it is my calling and duty to do whatever it takes to help the less fortunate in this world. I can't even imagine the feeling I would have to help save some one's life. One day I hope to find out how wonderful it is to be a nurse.

Shelby Williams

What would you do with a million dollars? List 5 things you would buy. If I had a million dollars an had to buy five things I would buy a mansion or a nice house , a new car, a big flat screen tv, a private jet, and a swimming pool. I would put most of the money in the bank for safe keeping and use the rest to help my parents. A million dollars wouldn't be enough to change my life so I would like to invest most of it to make more money. Sadly, these days, a million dollars isn't really that much, so it wouldn't go as far as I'd like.

Courtney

"History of Hairstyles"

When I was little, my hair was naturally curly, but when I turned about 8, my hair lost most of its naturally bouncy curl and just turned into waves. Then, when I got a perm, which was a bad idea, it look bad, so I just waited and waited for it to fade out. Once the ugly wringlets faded out, my natural curls began to appear again. In the 8th grade, I started highlighting my hair blonde. I kept it this way until the summer before 10th grade when I decided to go back to my naturally dark color. It was the night before the first day of school and my hair grabbed the dark highlights too fast, making my hair black. Then, when we turned it back brown, we used a brown copper tone, another bad idea, and it brought out the natural red tint in my hair. This took FOREVER to get rid of but finally we did over a series of weeks. I started dating my boyfriend in the middle of my 10th grade year. This is when I decided to go back blonde because my boyfriend saw pictures of my hair when it was blonde and he liked it. So I went back blonde the day after I got my braces off, and I haven't changed color ever since.

Hunter Martin

Things about parents that drive you crazy!

Have you ever heard that song by Will Smith, "Parents Just Don't Understand"? Well sometimes, they really don't. I mean I love my mom to death, but she thinks she knows everything that I'm going through and she really just does not have a clue. Sometimes I just want to be left alone but, of course, my mom has to ask a million questions: What's wrong? What happened? Where were you? Who were you with? I just want to scream when she does that! Every time something is wrong, she acts like she knows what happened and I'm just like "um...NO, mom you have no idea." Seriously, she was born at a different day and time period things aren't like they used to be. Don't get me wrong, my mom does help me alot and she might know what I'm going through, but I know she isn't going to understand what I'm talking about. And if I don't tell her what's "going on in my life," she gets all emotional and starts crying, saying "well I'm sorry that I love you and want to help you." Then I feel bad and I just get more aggravated and upset. Then there is the times where she gets mad at me about something and yells at me one minute then the next minute she is completely nice and acts like nothing happened. I mean really either your mad or not mad, make up your mind! Sometimes she really just drives me crazy!

-Shea-

My Hometown

I've never really thought much about having a "hometown." I was born in Vicenza, Italy, but only lived in this beautiful place until I was 10 months old. My family and I then moved to Columbus, Georgia. I don't remember much about living here other than a few memories of daycare and Dippin-Dots at the mall. I also fondly remember the layout of our tiny home. Other than that the rest is foggy. At four we jumped a few states over to Louisiana. Again these memories are quite unclear, save St. Patrick's Day in Pre-School and seeing my aunt and cousins for the first time! Three short years later we moved north to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Oh the stories I could tell of this place! I will always have a visual picture of Main Street in my mind and the snow up to your knees. Up until sixth grade I lived and learned here. I have so many great memories and friends back there. Only five years ago did my family and I move here to Hurtsboro, Alabama, yet it still seems like yesterday that I lived in the Keystone State. Now I am back in the south once more, equaling my time north and south. So there-in-lies the question, where is my hometown? Is it south? The place I live now and will finish my memorable high school days? North? The area so many fond memories remain? Or how about Italy? My birthplace not remembered or seen but still loved? Well, as for me, I would say no where. I love to travel and I wish to see the world one day. I don't want to be from just one place, I wish to be of the world! My hometown is north, south, east, west and every place in between!

My Heroes

In a recent interview I was asked who my childhood hero was. I sat silent staring into the interviewers blank eyes. I racked my brain for the person that was "My hero." My parents? No, sure they were smart, sure they were inspiring, sure they were the people who raised me; but they were not my heroes. Gandhi was next to enter my mind. One of the greatest men of all time in my opinion. He lead people to independence, taught people lessons of patience and showed people change. Despite how inspiring he is to me though, he was not the hero I was searching for. A few more people popped up; family, friends, leaders and even some comic book heroes; but to no avail could I find that "One." Finally, after what seemed like a long pause, it hit me! Everyone I had thought of had something in common. These people had inspired me and taught me and made me want to be a better person! I quickly blurted out "Everyone!" then with a calm smile I explained my theory. There was no certain someone who had totally inspired me. I had pulled a quality, that I now had as a part of myself, from each and every single person I had met. I had many heroes, who over the many years had made me well, me. I lost the interview but I was very happy. Now, thinking back, I see that everyone is a hero to everyone else. We all learn different things from one another; whether they be to better ourselves or just know what we don't wish to be like, we learn from each other. I am a hero and so are you! This I believe.

*Live Your Life to the Fullest*

I live by one philosophy and it is to live life to the fullest. Life is like a rainbow, you need both the sun and the rain to make the colors appear. Three principles to living your life!


Principle 1: Live life to the fullest because the things you don't do, you will more than likely regret it! Last year at EDAY in Auburn, my group got to go to the aircraft room. We were given the opportunity to put our head in the nighty-two mph air dome. At first, I had to think, "This is a once in a lifetime thing and I will probably never get to do it again." I took the chance and it was awesome. I still tell everyone about it today!




Principle 2: Live life to the fullest because the best things in life are memories. My high school years are probably the best! "You better enjoy your high school years because it only comes once!" I have heard this line more than I have blinked. The memoires I have made throughout high school will follow me forever. It's not just the good ones or the bad ones, its all the memories. As my class come to the end of my high school year I will look back in the yearbook and remember that these are the days of my life!




Principle 3: Live life to the fullest because you never know when your time might come. Life is a gift and is full of color just like a rainbow. My rainbow has no pot of gold at the end, but a wonderful story of the memories and actions I have captured throughout my lifetime. I take my life one day at a time and at least five feet from the edge everyday. I never know when my time might come, so I make the best of my life everyday!



Love life, cherish life, and give life, for you never know what might bring to your doorstep.

Anna Eubanks

If You Don't Have a Smile, I'll Give You One of Mine.

I believe the world would be a better place if everyone would wear a smile. Here are a few reasons why.
Reason 1: Everyone should wear a smile because you never know whose day you will make easier. You never know what kind of day the people you walk pass have had. That person could've just lost a love one, lost their job, be in bankruptcy, or have no home. A smile can make a huge difference in how they feel. When you are given a warm smile, you feel like you are cared about. I know when I am given a smile, I have a much better day.
Reason 2: Everyone should wear a smile because it makes you feel pretty. A wide grin can boost your confidence. No matter if you are a boy or girl, everyone needs a little something to make them feel beautiful. A smile can really tell other people about you. When you smile you can see yourself from the inside out.
Reason 3: Everyone should wear a smile because they are contagious. Seldomly do we give a smile and it's not returned. Giving a smile makes you feel wonderful. I love to make people laugh and smile a lot! It makes them feel better, and I know it makes me feel alot better. When you walk past someone, smile and see what kind of response you get.
Some days we don't feel like smiling, but it is important to because who knows how it could influence someone else. If you see someone who is sad, turn their frown upside down!

"From Corner Stores to Skyscrapers"

If you live in a small town, the big cities around you may seem like somewhere you don't want to go and experience. But take it from me, a person who has lived in a town with the population of about 14,000 people, its well worth the experience and not what it seems. Here are four reasons why I believe everyone should spend some time in a big city.

First of all, I believe everyone should spend some time in a big city because if you don't, you will regret it. You hear people tell how rugged and unpleasant "big city" 'folks are, but all of this may not be true. Many people in big cities are tourists from small, unknown towns, just like you. Yes some of the people you meet there may not be nice but you find people like that everywhere you go, in cities big or small. On my trip to New York City, the "big apple", we went expecting the worst and expecting everyone to be rude and lack good ole southern hospitality, but in reality they were not much different from us. Yeah, some people wouldn't hold the door open as we walked in behind them or smile back when we glanced a smile at them but they were not as horrid as they were made out to be.

Secondly, I believe everyone should spend some time in a big city because it will give you a new outlook on life and allow you to see that everyone doesn't live, or even travel the way you do. The streets may be crowded with taxi's and the sidewalks, covered with venders selling hot dogs and newspapers, but its a whole new experience, especially if your from a town that has not one taxi. On my trip to New York all we did was walk or travel by taxi, which was very unusual to us. What was even more unusual to us were the taxi drivers who escorted us around, the majority of them Muslims, and any other denomination than Americans.


Thirdly, I believe everyone should spend some time in a big city because if your from a small town like Eufaula, you will be absolutely amazed at all the stores a big city has to offer. Many very large cities, like New York City, have stores the south has never even thought of having such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and the Fao Schwarz Toy store, which is so packed you can barely get in, as well as many expensive resteraunts and even a McDonald's. But unlike our McDonalds, the one in New York has a doughnut shop in it and is surrounded by flat screen tv's and also has WiFi for your laptops. I think everyone should get to experience the fine clothing and resteraunt stores.


Lastly, I believe everyone should spend some time in a big city because thats where the majority of the movie stars of today live. I would love to visit Hollywood or Beverly Hills because I would like to happen to run into a movie star walking down the street running from the paparazzi, or see them driving in their new lamborghini down Sunset Boulevard. If you move to a big city, there are far more job opportunities than you can find in a small town. The only downside to moving from a small town to a big city would be that rent and housing is a lot more expensive in bigger cities so if you plan to move you better save up, at least until you find a job in the big city because jobs there pay way more.

Love the small city life you live in but eventually, you need to branch out, and go explore new, bigger things.
"But Ive seen it all in a small town
Had myself a ball in a small town
Married an l.a. doll and brought her to this small town
Now shes small town just like me"
Small town by John Mellencamp

"Everyone Deserves Happiness"

Our world population is 6.8 billion and out of the billions of different cultures, religions, and race everybody deserves to be with somebody. I believe nobody should be alone and everybody deserves happiness. Here are three reasons why I believe this.



Reason 1: Nobody should be alone because God put everybody on this earth for a reason, and the person you were meant to be with is somewhere out there. You shouldn't go out and look for the person who you think you are suppose to be with, because if it's fate it will just happen. God has a plan for everybody and what happens, happens, there is really nothing you can do about it so live your life and wait for that special somebody to come live it with you.



Reason 2: Nobody should be alone; even if you like the same sex. Everybody thinks it is such a bad thing for gay people to get married, but hey if that's who they love and want to be with then they deserve happiness just as much as you do. Gay marriage is illegal in certain states and, to me, I think the people that make these rules are trying to ruin other people's happiness because they are not happy themselves. Everybody is going to love who they want to love and for people to try to stop that is cruel and heartless. People just need to realize that this world is full of different people who want different things and everybody deserves to be happy.



Reason 3: Nobody should be alone because going through relationships in your life is the thing that makes you stronger and you find who you really are. Some people think it's a bad thing to go through relationships because you get your heart broken, but relationships are fun. You can have some of the best memories to look back on through different relationships; some may be bad and some may be good. If you go through life scared and afraid to take chances with people, you might miss some of best opportunities and even miss the one you were meant to be with. " 'Love is a Battlefield,' " and your going to have to go through a lot of heart aches and pain but it's worth it when you find Mr. or Mrs. right.



Life without love is like fries without ketchup, its plain and horrible. Everybody deserves to be happy with somebody, no matter what the circumstance is. Nobody should be alone in this huge world we live in.

"A Lost Life"

"A Lost Life"

Before I opened the door to the hosptial room number 205, I took a deep breath, realizing everything is about to change. I had gotten a phone call from my older brother, Dave, informing me that my mother, who had been suffering from lung cancer, was on her last leg. I was twelve hours away from Dallas, Texas, where my mother was checked in at Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, but i caught the first flight back, hopefully in time to say my goodbyes to the woman who meant most to me in my life.

My mother looked so fragile in her cold, metal hospital bed and the pastel picture hanging on the wall looked as if it were painted only with dark colors of black and grey. My two sisters, Jan and Sarah, had almost used up the whole box of Kleenex tissues that sat beside the bed. Trying to distract myself, I reached to grab the empty box and throw it in the trash can on the floor. As I was doing so, she gently grabbed my arm to get my attention. Faintly, I could hear her trying to whisper something while she was gasping for air. This all together broke my heart and it was all I could do to take a deep breath and lean in to see what she wanted to tell me. My mother and I were always really close because I had suffered from anxiety and she was always there to comfort me when I had an attack. When I leaned in to listen to her faint, shaking voice, she whispered the words "I love you" and shortly after that, almost before I could tell her that I loved her too, she took her last breath.

As my sisters and my brother cried, suprisingly my tears stopped because in that moment, I found comfort from the words my mother had said and that I had the chance to tell her how I felt before she passed. I also found comfort knowing that she would be in heaven now with my dad, the love of her life, who had died exactly two years ago from that day.

"New Life"

"New Life"

The usually cold, scary feeling of a hospital room was not so as I walked into the room to comfort my young, beautiful wife, who was head over heels in love with. I arrived at the hospital just before 8:00 p.m to be there to celebrate the arrival of our new, handsome baby boy, who was only 7lbs, who was still slightly purple, and who was quietly sleeping in my wifes arms, Aiden. The sleek, shiny metal of the hospital bed railing didn't seem so scary anymore as I looked to see my wife holding our baby. I didn't even notice how hard and uncomfortable the hospital room chairs were or even stop to watch the ending of my favorite movie which was playing on the television set above my fragile wifes hospital bed. The pastel colored painting of grassy fields and many cows hanging on the hospital wall had nothing on the view outside the window. The skies were beautiful pastel pinks and baby blue colors, the hazy white clouds covering it partially, and the mountains, blue in the distance, never looked so vividly colorful and clear. On that day early in the month of July, I could not explain the joy and happiness that overcame me when I looked to see my wife, who had made it through the painful delivery before I could arrive, holding our new baby boy. As I glanced at his face, still a little blue from delivery, I could imagine myself one day teaching him how to hunt deer or go fishing like me and my dad did when I was a little one. My wife cried with tears of joy, wiping her eyes with the Kleenex tissues that sat on the stand beside her bed. She was trying so hard to ring the empty plastic trash can with the dirty tissue which made me laugh as I was tryng to hold back my own tears.

A Life Lost

As I walked in to the frigid, ugly hospital room, it took all I had to keep back the tears of hurt when I saw the love of my life lying in a cold, uncomfortable, metal-framed hospital bed. While my husband was peacefully sleeping, I tried to keep my mind off of what I knew was about to happen. I started cleaning up his room and noticed that he didn't eat the bowl of fruit on the night stand beside his bed, and he had only taken a few sips from his glass of water. I knew he was not going to be around for very much longer, so I sat in the hardback chair in the room and held his hand close to my heart. The small clock radio on the night stand was on and it started to play "I'll Never Love This Way Again" by Dionne Warwick, the song that my husband and I had our first dance to. As I sat there with him, listening to our song, I burst into tears because it hit me that the man who stood by my side all my life and who loved me undconditionally, who was the father of my children and who made me smile when I was down, was going to be gone forever. I grabbed the box of Kleenex and noticed the painting on the wall of cows standing in a grassy field behind the melancholy blue sky. I walked over to open the window, and as I opened it a cool breeze came through and I saw the sun setting behing the blue mountains. I looked out and saw a young couple, that looked very much in love and it reminded me of my husband and I 30 years ago. I heard my husband rolling around, so I went to make sure he was ok. As he looked me in the eyes, all I could do was cry. He held my hand and told me he loved me as he then took his last breath.

Nothing but Silence

As I walked into my beloved husband's hospital room my eyes filled with solitary tears. They fell to the floor as I walked up to his metal-framed hospital bed to touch him for the last time. The room was just as blank and gloomy as my thoughts. It held depressed atmosphere that tumbled around my dying husband's body. I looked into his crippled eyes and my heart melted just like it did the day we got married. My tears started to soar down my face and I grabbed a few Kleenexes to wipe them away. My legs were trembling and my heart was breaking, so I sat down in the cushioned hardback chair to recap my sorrowful thoughts. I caught a glimpse of Wheel-A-Fortune on the television, that was supported in the air over the bed. As I was sitting, I thought about the exquisite pastel painting of cows and the happy surroundings that touched the picture. It did nothing but bring tears to my blood shot eyes. I was proud of my seventy-six year old husband though. He was a firefighter for fourty-five years and saved many people. We had three beautiful children that completed our life. Now my husband of fifty years was dying of old age and I will soon be left alone. The feeling of losing a loved one is painful. I gathered up the tissues and throught them away in the empty garbage can. I took a drink of water from the water glass and ate an apple from the untouched bowl of fruit sitting on the night stand. My heart was heavy and my appearance was doleful. I walked over to my husband and looked him in the eyes. My heart swelled up with tears when he told me that he loved me, and then he was gone.

Things That Matter :)

As i walked into the glowing room of happiness, my eyes were captured by the scene of my beloved wife swaddling our new bundle of joy. The clock read seven -thirty as I walked over to the bronze metal-framed hospital bed to catch a glimpse of our new baby girl. It was almost like the sea had parted when we made eye contact. Her eyes glowing into mine made my heart swell up with love. I sat on the stained oak rocking chair as my wife and I chatted about the bright future we were about to face. By the bedside I noticed a bright colored filled bowl of fruit that left my taste buds watering, an empty baby bottle, a water glass and a plastic pitcher. My eyes were focused on the tv, but I could not concentrate for all the excitment. I gathered up the tissues and placed them into the empty trash can. Soon after, I took duty of our new addition as my wife slept. I looked around the sun glazed room and noticed the pastel painting of cows standing in a grassy field, with the sun and mountains in the background. This painting gave me an enduring feeling and reminded me of home; hopefully, someday I could give this to my wife and our new daughter. The room my new little family was in, was one of a kind. It was where a new memory was made, a beautiful baby girl was born, and a happy family was starting their life together.

A Precious Moment

Closing my hand around the door handle, I excitedly open the door. As my eyes search the room, I see the love of my life, my beautiful wife, laying on her metal-framed hospital bed. With a glowing smile on her face and her eyes shining, I walk over to her, trying my hardest to control myself, trying my hardest to keep calm, trying my hardest not to run towards her like a maniac. I take my seat in the hard back chair that was provided for me, and fully understood what they meant when they said it was "a hard-back chair". But it was okay, because I was with the woman who bore my first child, the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, the woman who was my love at first sight. I looked into her soft eyes that were now misted with tears of joy, and I reached over on the nightstand that consisted of a glass of water, a water pitcher, some fruit that she had eaten for dinner earlier at about 7, and a small alarm clock that now read 7:30 p.m., to grab her some Kleenex to wipe away her tears. Once she was through, I tossed the tissues away in a small trashcan that was nearby her bed. We embraced, ignoring the television conversation going on in the background, ignoring everything else that was going on around us, ignoring the doctor that had just walked in to check on my wife. I never fully realized how much she really meant to me until I was completely away from her for a long period of time. Like they say, you never know what you've got til it's gone. She looked away from me for a moment to look out of the large window that was off to the left of the hospital bed. The sun was slowly beginning to set, with streaks of red, orange, pink, and purple making a collage of colors in the sky. The trees swayed in harmony to the rhythm of the breeze that was blowing outside, causing perfect weather. The blue mountains, in all of their majestic beauty, were quite a sight to see if you were a tourist or even if you've seen this before. After she is through gazing out of the window, she looks over towards the pastel painting of cows, standing around in a grassy field, with the sun and mountains in the background. I think she enjoyed looking at the pastel because it reminded her of our home, where we have lived for a little while now. But whatever the reason she enjoyed looking at the pastel, it could never compare to how much joy was created in me when I got to see her and our child for the first time, it could never compare to the happiness that we would have forever on end, and it could never compare to the precious moments that we would make and remember with our child for the rest of our lives.

Babies are a link between angels and man.

I couldn't wait to see my wife's beautiful face as I neared the hospital room. My heart pounded as I grabbed the cold silver door knob to open the door. I was overwhelmed to see and hold my tiny new born baby boy. My wife was lying in the metal-framed hospital bed when I first took step a through the door. Her smile brightened the room, while she held, Tucker, our baby boy. I was so nervous to get close to him that I knocked over the small trash can sitting on the floor. Hospital rooms were usually so gloomy, but on this day the room was filled with beautiful colors and held a sense of warmth. I slowly took Tucker from my wife's arms and sat in the hardback chair. Usually, the chair would have been uncomfortable, but the feeling of being a proud new Father made everything just right. I was shocked to see the televison over the bed turned off. At home the tv stayed on every second. My legs were a little uneasy as I stood to grab my wife a glass of water on the night stand with the baby in my arms. Tucker let out a little cry as I leaned over. My heart dropped. I was not sure if I had done something wrong. My wife just smiled and told me I was doing just fine with him. She took a sip of the water and dozzed off for a little nap. It was just Tucker and me now. We stood in front of the picture on the white hospital wall. The cows in the grassy field and the gorgeous site of the sun and mountains in the distance. What a beautiful world this baby just arrived into. I wished that Tucker knew how lucky I feel to be his Father. He grabbed my finger with his tiny hand, like he knew what I was thinking. A tear ran down my cheek, and I took a kleenex from the box on the hard, cold counter. I was so nervous, but at the same time so happy to start my new family. This breezy July evening will be one I will never forget.