There is a certain irony in the title of my forthcoming book: Crossroads: A Path Home. Like many, I watched in horror as our Capital Building, the seat of legislature (somewhat dysfunctional legislature lately, it is true), be infiltrated by a mob. It broke my heart.

When I was in junior high school, my mother made a commitment to our Girl Scout Troop to take us to Washington D.C. if we raised the money. There were spaghetti dinners, bazaars (oh, those troll clothes!), and bake sales. But before we even started on the effort, my mother told the parents of two girls that they could stay in the troop, but she was not taking them to DC. They simply didn’t know how to behave.

I didn’t realize how much courage that took. Especially since the US seems far too tolerant of bad behavior these days.

The trip was amazing. Tours of the Kennedy White House, the Capital Building, the FBI. Standing in awe in front of the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln. The first time I ever sat on the back porch of Mt. Vernon. Five whirlwind days. And my mom directed it all.

Unfortunately, she died when I was 21. I miss her frequently and wonder what she would make of all this. I’m sure she would agree that we are at a crossroads. There are choices to make about who we really want to be as a nation, and what truths we need to face to get there.

I can only pray for all of us to have courage, honesty, and determination, the same traits my mother used to get us to Washington D.C., to achieve the best results we can.