We had a fantastic trip to New York. The girls made it on TV, and we laughed until it hurt.

Then the late night phone call. Although I grew up with our mayor, and a phone call from him is not normally out of the ordinary, it certainly was late at night in New York City.

A dull ache in my chest formed at the learning of the accident that took Todd Broome’s life, and has been there since.

We are fortunate, living in a small town, to be able to participate and be a part of many facets of our community. Todd was no exception.

He was a town alderman, school board member, and business owner, among other things.

Most importantly, he was our friend.

If you ever asked Todd what he was most proud of, his answer was emphatically his daughters and his wife. Of all the roles Todd held, father and husband were no doubt his favorites.

My oldest and his oldest were in the same class in school. They were just two months apart in age, and made an instant connection at Wednesday night church, before they even went to school. Both were shy and quiet, and the rest is history.

While the girls were growing up, the Broome’s lived on “our side of town.”

I think one of the greatest childhood memories for Anna Williams, was the fact that her friend’s dad owned the Triangle and they were allowed to go in back and fix their own food.

Todd always had the newest toys, and fun things to ride on. Both of those things, plus the swimming pool, and it was a recipe for the “coolest place to be.”

I have always said it takes a village to raise our children.

Thank you, Todd, for helping raise mine.