This last week has been a very memorable one for me. My brother Craig and his wife Janice were the Grand Marshal’s for the Bancroft Pioneers Days celebration. It was a great honor and a well-deserved one as well. They have been a tremendous example of generosity and self-less service to their community and family. I am so proud of them, and the positive influence they are to everyone who knows them.
When I drove over to watch the parade, it brought back so many memories of going to the parade when we were younger. I remembered everybody standing and saluting the American Flag as it went by. I remember so many pretty girls on horses’ ride by and wave. I remember quickly grabbing candy up before a little girl had a chance to pick it up! I also remember having to give the candy back to the little girl thanks to Mom and Dad!
As I waited for the parade to start, I was standing by a family with two cute little girls. It was so sweet to see the excitement in their faces. We started talking and the grandmother asked me where I was from. When I told her my brother and his wife were the Grand Marshals, she asked me, “Are you Shane?” she asked. I found out she was the wife of one of my good friends. She told me she had seen some of the posts on Facebook and she admired everything the Foundation is doing for cancer patients and their families. We had a nice talk about her family and everything they are doing. It was such a heartwarming sight to see all the families there to watch the parade. It was so sweet to see all the little kids playing and having fun. I found a wave of warmth and gratitude come over me.
After the parade was over, I went over to the rodeo arena to watch my niece compete in the team roping. As I was making my way over to the rodeo arena, I met some old friends. It was great to catch up with them and find out how they are doing. I found Craig and Janice in the grandstands. It brought back memories of competing in the rodeo every year. All the times I competed in that rodeo, the ones I enjoyed the most were the ones I competed in with my son Justin.
As I was driving home, I thought about all the wonderful experiences I had that day. I thought about all the great memories it brought back about going to the parade and rodeo over the years. I thought about everyone that works so hard to put this event together every year so families can celebrate and honor their heritage. But mainly I thought about our country and what it stands for. Every day there are countless headlines who’s only purpose that I can tell is to divide our country. It seems to be getting worse every day. But my opinion has been, and still is, that these people do not represent the majority of our country. The majority of our country wants to help each other. The majority of our country cares about their communities and everyone that lives there. The majority of our country wants the best for everyone. An example of the majority of our country can be seen at the Bancroft Pioneer Days celebration.
I want to thank everyone in my life that has helped me and cared for me. I want to thank everyone in the armed forces for their service and sacrifices. I want to thank everyone in education and the emergency services for all they do for their communities.
Thanks for reading.
Nest week:
Napoleon Dynamite Festival
P.S. This time when I quickly gathered up the candy at the parade, I gave it to the two cute little girls without being told I had to!