Recent research suggests that we thank people more than 2000 times a year but we don’t mean it about half the time. That’s sad because there is no doubt in my mind that thanking people brings joy, a feeling of self-worth and well- deserved recognition. I also feel that highway safety advocates are vastly under-appreciated especially by the public at large. They may get peer recognition but rarely if ever, do you see them honored at the Kennedy Center, White House or other venues honoring outstanding individuals (present company excluded) This despite the fact that they save lives day in and day out and usually for a nominal fee, or sometimes no fee and extraordinary work.

They say that sometimes life can change in a matter of seconds and that's what happened to me. We were visiting Frisco, Texas for a gymnastics meet. I was walking over to the event with my girls to watch their friends compete but I never made it to the competition that night. I also missed my daughter compete the next day all because an 18-year-old girl decided it was more important to look at the text on her phone than to pay attention to the road. Her decision to drive distracted has changed my life forever.