"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." Helen Keller. . . . My dad was an optimist. He told me that I could do anything I set my mind to do. He was an immediate dad; always there; always ready to listen. He opened new heavens to me and taught me to reach for the stars. I went to college because he told me I could. I went to grad school because he had faith in me. He cheered me on to my first book, to my doctorate, to every accomplishment of my career. My mother gave me my roots, but my dad gave me my wings.