Mekong to Tennessee River

On the weekend of August 28, my family and I made the trek to Knoxville to attend a family reunion. It was to mark the 30th year that my family has been in the United States and we celebrated with the families that brought us to the United States. I've written before about what a leap of faith it was for these individuals to step out of their comfort zones and welcome total strangers into their lives.

It really was a great weekend. As always, we had great food. There were laughs, tears and stories. It was the first time in over a decade that we've all been together. So much has changed throughout the years. I am no longer a toddler. My siblings speak great English. We've grown into professionals and some have started families. There are children and grandchildren. And we-- Keans, Uy, Headricks and Smiths-- are all family.

Here is the article in this week's Blount Today about the reunion. It's full of errors about facts and names and some other things. But it does get some of it right. Hope you get to read it. I owe a lot to these families that brought us to America, but I also owe a lot to the ones who love, believe and support in me everyday.