Our hometowns hold our roots, the things that make us who we truly are.  The people who influenced us when we were young, who we mimicked while we played.  The kids who were older that we followed around like puppies, the adults that we called out to, “watch me”, “look at this”, “what’s this?”.   The neighbors that let us spend hours on end in the yards, treehouse, living rooms and  carpools.  The parents who drove us to little league, soccer, scout meetings and sleepovers.  The same parents who later taught us to drive and let us borrow their cars for dances, camping trips and shopping.  The same parents who guided us through tragedy and success, who taught us how to cope with all of these big emotions we were having.  Who prepared us for those big emotions by letting us feel the small ones when we were small.  They shaped us as humans, community members and adults.  Our roots, they help us stand tall and branch out, yet remain connected for years to come.  I invite you to reach out to someone from your “hood” and share a memory or thank them for one you cherish.  I plan to…