Earlier this week(Monday) I did my latest speech for the Toastmasters Group that Ann and I belong to. Since I hadn’t thought of a topic until the last day or two, I decided honor my late parents only a day after what would have been their 68th wedding anniversary.

Now, I started off my speech by talking about our(Ann and I) son Eric and the fact that he his now at The Second City Theater in Chicago for six weeks after being selected with only one other student from their class at the University of North Carolina School(100) of the Art.

Now though we’re blessed to have Eric, my mother and father raised 10 of us(myself and my nine brothers and sisters) with the same dedication and love, which I believe was why each and every one of us turned out to be, in general, productive human beings. You see, mom and dad had a lot on their hands, literally, but they did the best that they could. Dad worked multiple jobs when he had to while mom always kept things as calm as she could at our house.

If I remember correctly, there was a dinner(200) on the table every night. Personally, I remember Mom’s spaghetti, lasagna, meatloaf and, of course, her Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings. Good, good eating’!! Yes, my parents did their respective jobs so, so well loving each and every one of us no matter whether we were raising hell or making the honor roll-I know I did in the seventh grade.

That’s the way good parents raise their children and, well, our parents were two pretty amazing people. Sometimes I think about them and say, “How could I ever go on without ever being able to talk with mom and again? Then I remember that, because of those two, I am the person I am today: capable of handling the strains of life while still being a good guy.