To my family:
We have a wonderful family legacy – of caring, of compassion, of community rootedness. I was raised by and among compassionate role models who believed in taking care of family, neighbors, and community. The extended family of the Webbs and Crafts worked and played together. I believe we can explore and extend the legacy through the work of a foundation.
This is an intensely personal thing for me. I’ll never forget the sight of my grandfather working our land in South Carolina behind his mule and plow. The smell of dirt after he plowed and of sweet corn nourished by that soil are very real memories. Most of all I recall how each year at least three generations of the family brought in the harvest together. We shared a sense of closeness that extended well beyond harvest time. We knew what was going on in each other’s lives. We supported and took pride in one another.
I wish I had been able to give more things and more comfort to my grandparents while they were alive. They gave so much to me. I realize now that a family foundation is the best way possible to honor them and to carry on their sense of family and community.