This is Kim.  I met Kim as she was standing at the edge of Lake Erie in a small town named Vermillion.  It was a hot sunny day and Kim was looking for her children.  Kim told me that she was born and raised in Vermillion, but "never really appreciated the town."  "It's a shame," she said, "but you never really appreciate where you come from until after you move away."  Kim did move away to college, but eventually moved back.  She said "I really love it here." I asked if I could take her picture and she laughed.  "Sure" she said.

Later, I wondered how many parents have looked out over the horizon wishing that their children knew what Kim had learned -- that sometimes, coming home is a good thing, and that small-town America is home.

Tonight, Kim, your children will be in bed, exhausted and safe in your home in Vermillion Ohio -- A very small town.