I spoke briefly of my parents in my video and want to expand on them now. They were and, even though they have been gone for years, still are my inspiration. Here’s why.
My mom was a coal miner’s daughter from a small company town in western Pennsylvania, Central City. She had five brothers and a sister, an alcoholic father who I never knew and an amazing mother who I knew and loved for 22 years.
My dad was the son of a plumber for the Long Island Railroad and a secretary who worked in Manhattan. He had four sisters and grew up in South Jamaica, Queens, NY. To say they came from very different backgrounds would be an understatement. The thing they had in common was that they came from humble beginnings.
Mom went to nursing school at Windber Hospital where she met her best friend who later became my “aunt” Janet. When they graduated, they enlisted in the Army. The U.S. was fully engaged in WWII. They went in as Lieutenants. Back in NY, Dad, who hadn’t graduated high school and had been working since he was 10, enlisted and was a Tec 5. As fate would have it, they wound up in the same Army Field Hospital under General Eisenhower and followed the troops into France after Normandy. Although they weren’t supposed to fraternize, my father’s sergeant, who later became my “uncle” Al, introduced my father to my mother. Lucky me and my sister. Despite the horrors they must have seen, like so many others, they never spoke of it. They only spoke of the good memories. They were truly part of the Greatest Generation which is why they are and always will be my inspiration.
When they returned from the War, they married and rented a small apartment in St. Albans, Queens, NY. My sister was born a year later and when I was coming along 7 years after, they moved to Levittown. They rented at first, then borrowed the $100 down payment from our neighbors and gave it back when they closed on the house they bought for $6900. The GI Bill provided 100% financing. My parents raised my sister and me in that house, with improvements along the way, and they lived there until they passed at the age of 89. They came from little, never had a lot financially, but were always comfortable and had a wonderful life. They instilled in us the ethic to work hard, accomplish more, and give back. I’d like to think that they succeeded.
There is so much more, but the point is that having just celebrated the 76th anniversary of D-Day, we all have much to be grateful for. I am sure that many of you have stories to share like this one, and you should share them. We are going through a most difficult time and now is the time to talk about our past and wishes for the future. Educate the young and encourage them to be the next great generation. We, as lawyers, are in a better position than most to change the future. Jack used a quote from Peter Drucker - “The best way to prepare for the future is to create it.” Who better than us to do that? And what better time than now? This pandemic has certainly created an opportunity. Senseless deaths, protests against racism and inexplicable riots only heighten the importance of bringing about change. Two of our pillars are Integrity and Civility. Are there better measures of character? Is there a better time to start a conversation? We need to find a common ground. Let us remember and honor our forefathers by working together to make a brighter future. As my mom would always say, “This too shall pass”.