A letter to Ella Ann

From Keith Westbrook on Aug. 25:

My name is Keith C. Westbrook or to you in the start of your life poppa or grandpa. When your mom and dad told us that you were going to be our first grandchild everything in our lives, in my life changed from that moment on. We love your mom and dad, but there is something about knowing that a part of me and your grandmother will live on through you, not just the DNA but the essence of what our lives have been, has changed us forever. You are the embodiment of all our hopes and dreams f0r a brighter future than ours and our chance to live on, past what our mortal existence allows.

But what will that future bring to you and those that will share it with you I cannot foresee, all I can do is tell you that I am fighting today so you can have the tomorrow I would want for myself. To be FREE to experience all that life has to offer, to love with all of your heart and to grow and become the best you, in the greatest most free nation on earth.

It is a very tumultuous time in the history of this country, we have for many years let ourselves believe that the things we cherish the most: freedom, honor, family were sacred and could never be taken from us: WE WERE WRONG!

When I was born many years ago in the middle of the last century in 1953 it was a very different time than the one you will experience. We were very naive about many things and happy to be so, there was an innocence and a belief that our great Republic with its foundation in the Constitution was always going to be the shining star of this little blue marble spinning in space.

We had problems: I remember things that (if they write history as it really happened) we faced every day that were scary, we sat on the brink of technology that some were willing to use to destroy this planet. ( Mutually Assured Destruction) The people in charge of all of the countries could not then and still not today try to understand each other and if they cannot agree or get along, take from the other person what they have and don't want them to have. (like the bullies you will meet in the school yard one day).(kick their ass!)

And it was not just the bullies from the other neighborhoods it was our own bullies here in our neighborhood who hid from everyone while they schemed and planned to take away what made this country and we the people great, because they feared it and us.

Ella: bullies are more afraid of you that you are of them, ALL bullies are cowards deep inside and to keep you from seeing that fear they hide it by attacking what they fear the most!

The most cherished and fought over of these things is FREEDOM! It frightens me to think that you may never get to live your life with this being the most cherished and fought over right endowed to us.

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