To Believe can mean many things to many people: Believe in God, Believe in Hope, Believe in Prayer, even Believe in Oneself.

I believe in all of these.

I believe in the power of positive thinking.

I believe I have been very blessed in my life.

Even though there have been tragedies some might say in my life, my belief in the positive is still strong.

In 1953 my brother Earl lost oxygen to the brain as a result of childbirth. He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. This was truly tragic as he was normal in the womb up until his birth. Earl was not expected to live a very long life but today he is 67 and the sweetest soul despite his infirmities. In spite of not growing up with him as a doting big brother, I believe this tragedy to bring about something positive. We as young children learned of disabilities in others and to view everyone with love and respect.

I believe I have been blessed to still have all my siblings. Recently my other brother Brian was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. I truly believe he will be healed.

In 1962 we lost our biological father at the young age of 35. He left our mother to raise six children on her own. Four years later she met the man that raised us, William Drown. Our life with him has been an adventure. He was always doing things with us kids; he is a big kid himself.

I believe the death of our father, as tragic as it was, did result in something positive. My mother and Bill had a beautiful life together. They had adventure: they visited Hawaii, Alaska, Newfoundland, Baja, CA; they had a winter home in FL, then a winter home in SC; they did everything together; they were truly soul mates. Now with her gone I believe my relationship with him has deepened.

I believe in marriage. I believe relationships work as long as you both are committed.

I believe in lasting friendships.

I believe in my church.

I believe in all of you!