I have lots of heroes and people I look up to but some are more "heroic" than others. The couple that tops the list is my mom and dad, Paul and Ginny Simmons. If they've ever wavered, I haven't noticed. I know they're human and subject to the same mistakes we all make but when it comes to raising their family they're always on target.

Mom and Dad have raised 5 kids to adulthood, actually to senior hood; all but one are over 50. They've been married for 68 years and live in the house we moved into in 1961. We all go there on a regular basis because we like their company. Even the grand kids who can drive stop in to visit and take advantage of their homespun wisdom. Now don't get the impression I'm describing Ma and Pa Kettle, far from it. They're modern thinkers who enjoy good company, good scotch, and a good joke. They can discuss world affairs or a grand kid's latest heartbreak. They don't live in the vacuum so many of our elderly citizens retreat to.

Mom and Dad taught us by example. Kids don't always hear what they are told but they always see what's going on and that's the behavior they'll choose to model. Mom was the MOM and Dad was the DAD and we were the KIDS. Everyone knew their parts and the lines never blurred. Mom and Dad worked as a unit, there was no divide and conquer.........ever.

By watching them we learned solidarity, honesty, compassion, and courage. Racial or economic biases weren't tolerated. They gave us room to develop as individuals. We were never pigeonholed or expected to behave the same but we were expected to behave.

I never feared that they would stop loving me just because I did something stupid or made a bad choice. That's what growing up is about. The path from adolescence to adulthood is a minefield and they helped us maneuver through it. When we stepped on a mine and had to deal with the explosion they were there with sympathy, or wisdom, or a just punishment, if that was what was required. We were expected to learn from these errors and avoid them in the future. Sometimes that happened but sometimes we were doomed to take a second run at it. As you'd expect, a second or third run at the same dumb behavior met with different consequences. Mom and Dad are fair people, but impatient with stupidity.

I think they are amazing people, and not just because they are my parents. They set a standard for dignity and independence we'd all do well to follow. I'd be lying if I said I don't worry about Daddy mowing the yard and Mom going up and down the steps but my admiration for their spirit and courage outweigh my anxiety for their safety. As children they never wrapped us in cotton and they trusted us to make sound decisions. Now it's my turn to give them the same respect and trust.