On my 10th birthday, I woke up to get ready for school. My dad was a single father at the time and he had already left for work.

The night before he had wished me a Happy Birthday and kissed me good night. As he turned out the light and closed the door he said, “Tomorrow you will be in the double digits. My little girl is going to be 10.”

I fell asleep thinking about double digits and felt a little taller in my double bed.

When I arrived in the kitchen for my morning bowl of cereal, there on the table was a teddy bear with a yellow ribbon tied between her ears and holding an envelope in her lap. I grabbed the envelope and inside was a sentimental, mushy card from my dad and a $10 bill! I stood there looking at that $10 bill and could not believe how rich I was.

Our family was struggling and $10 then would be at least $100 now. I knew it took a lot for my dad to purchase the teddy bear AND give me $10. The teddy bear was smiling and looking at me as if to say, “Your dad loves you and he sacrificed for you today.” I smiled back, pulled her into my arms, hugged her and immediately named her Tanya. I don’t know why I named her that but I did.

I could not call my dad because cell phones or emails did not exist. I had to bask in the love he left in the kitchen and head to school. All day long I felt his love with me and I had dreams of all the things I would buy with that $10 bill.

That was more than 40+ years ago and my dad passed away in 2004. In all the birthdays after my 10th – none compared to that one for some strange reason.

I still have Tanya and she is packed away in the attic. She is tattered from age. Her fur flattened from many teenager tears. She has one ear barely hanging by a thread from a puppy of years ago. Her smile is still there and the love I feel from my dad is there too every time I pull her out and hold her.

One day I will tell my granddaughters about their grandfather. I will take Tanya out from her packing and let them feel the love of a grandfather they never knew. He is a part of them and always will be.

Although my family was broken, we had our special moments and special traditions. Family heritage and traditions are important to the wholeness of a person and the wholeness of a nation.

There are certain traditions from our past that we celebrate as a nation such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Labor Day, President’s Day and others. We also perform certain traditions that keep our country whole. The biggest one is voting.

Our nation exists on the votes of the people. Our leaders are voted on by the people. Our wealth, prosperity and safety comes from the votes we cast because of the leaders we choose.

On Tuesday, November 2 you have the power to choose those who will lead you. We hope you will take time to do the following:

· Research the candidates: Before you vote, understand who you are voting for and make a well-informed decision. Remember that what you read in the newspaper is not always the truth. Dig deep with the media and instead contact your statewide policy organization, your local party offices, or your tea party to find out information about the candidates.

· Give a Ten: Your candidates are running out of money. They need your help. Stop what you are doing and “Give a Ten” to your favorite candidate by contributing on their website. Ten dollars is not much to you but if we all did it – think of the impact it could make.

· Give a Teddy: Did you know that Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt inspired the first Teddy Bear? The first Teddy Bear was made by Rose and Morris Michtom because of an incident that happened on November 14, 1902. President Roosevelt went to Mississippi to settle a border dispute between Mississippi and Louisiana. He also went on a hunting trip and while there the members of his hunting party tied a black bear cub to a tree for him to shoot. (How horrible!) He refused to harm the cub. (Good for him!) When Rose and Morris Michtom heard about the incident, they made two stuffed bears to display in their shop window and the teddy bears captivated the nation. The Michtom’s asked the president for permission to call these stuffed bears “Teddy Bears” and he agreed. If that story makes you feel good about President Teddy Roosevelt and his leadership, feel free to purchase a Teddy Bear at http://www.teddysbearsforkids.org/ and make a future voter feel better today.

In honor of my dad who loved his country and had a deep passion for its heritage, Tanya will come out of the attic on November 2 so she can celebrate this historic event as we take back our country and celebrate Liberty!