I've Been Lately Thinking . . .

. . . about my life's times . . . That's the first line of John Denver's song, "Poems, Prayers and Promises" and pretty much mirrors my thought process over the past four or five days. On Saturday, Ron, Kate, Tyler, my mom and dad and I traveled to Jefferson City to a reunion for all the people who worked in the State Treasurer's office during my dad's tenure (1972-1980). It was a really wonderful time, seeing people we hadn't seen in nearly 30 years, laughing, crying, recalling fond memories, catching up. This is a picture of my dad (left) greeting Bill & Betty Crigler. I knew these people when I was a teenager and the impact they had on my life was not insignificant. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Dad had a group of really remarkable young men and women who worked for him; I did some calculating and most of them were in their mid- to late-20's when they were hired and they were on the front lines of handling millions and millions of dollars of the state funds and charting campaign strategies.

My friend, Michelle Able, and I used to hang out in the offices of Rick Ravenhill, Bob Jordan and Bob Holden (who eventually became Governor of Missouri) and shoot the breeze when we were really supposed to be doing legislative research for a high school class. The night my dad lost the primary election for the 1980 Governor's race, it was Bob Holden who came into my room, sat on my bed and comforted me as I was bawling about not having done enough during the campaign.

Hearing people talk about Dad at the reunion was especially touching and, I hope, gratifying to him. Every person who spoke testified to Dad's honesty, integrity and fairness, qualities that are sometimes in short supply when we think of our leaders today. The also spoke about the model he provided for the course of their lives. They talked about my mom's support and her generous spirit, which are still central to her character today. I've always known these things about my parents, but it was wonderful to hear that, after all these years, these people still have such high regard for them.

As I tried to corral my emotions on Sunday during the drive back, I realized how unique my growing up years were. How many people can really say that they really love their parent's colleagues from years gone by? How many people even knew their parent's colleagues? Going through multiple campaigns is not only grueling, but it's unifying as well. There's something very galvanizing about relentlessly pursuing a common goal; it's magnificent if it's reached and devastating if the effort falls short. Either way, friendships and bonds are made that last a lifetime and can truly stand the test of time.

A huge, huge blessing and remarkable privilege. That's MY life.