Summertime memories…Climbing unsteadily at the beach onto my dad’s rocklike shoulders and getting launched wide-eyed into the next big wave. Gulping through dinner to have another catch in the back yard, my dad somehow tolerating one throw into the dirt and the next one four feet over his head as I worked on my Sandy Koufax curveball… I couldn’t get enough. Sixty years on and these memories seem like they were yesterday. Vivid, but never enough for the kid who adored his dad.

Another summer slips by…it really DID go faster this year… and another chapter closes in the minds of our kids. What memories did they write down? Were you part of them? If not, don’t worry… there will soon be piles of leaves and snow drifts to throw your kids into. And plenty of other ways to make your mark: math homework, a bully at school, a job search, a career dilemma, a failing relationship, a child on the way.

While you’re at it, below is how one local father is trying to create a life for his kids. I wonder what memories his kids have of this summer, and what the seasons ahead hold for them. I wonder how they will look back on their childhood. I wonder how they will remember their dad.

This appeared in the Catholic Star Herald on August 2nd, 2018. It was written by my daughter, Mary McCusker, whose ability to bring a story to life via the written word is remarkable. This story isn’t unique, as there are many local families facing long odds and many parents, like Carlos Moore, doing heroic work on behalf of their kids.

This article originally appeared in the Catholic Star Herald. It is reprinted here with permission.