Leading up to the fifth anniversary of losing my dad, I have been reminded of his intense love of his country. As I speak to my young children about right and wrong, I can hear his voice plain as if he were next to me, “Kate, don’t ever be afraid of anyone. When you see wrong, stand up, keep your head up, and speak up. When you know right is on your side, there’s no reason to be afraid.”

I pray I can pass that unflinching knowledge of what is right from him to my kids, who barely got to know him. I may not say things as simply and as purely as he said them, but I have his spirit in me, guiding the feeling behind the words.