Every day we are presented with a new factor of change that is presented to the world around us. We may live in fear, yet we are excited about what is to come due to the huge world around us. As many people have had many experiences and walks of earth individually, it's our parents that we tend to be the most interested in. It's where we came from, and the places that our parents have traveled and maybe even had us that matter the most. We live our lives questioning everything to learn more and piece together some of the things that may have not come too easy to our general knowledge.

Lucky for me, my parents leave an open book of answers and they know just about everything about my family and where we came from. My dad has always been a history junkie, and although sometimes listening is hard, it amazes me how fascinating his history is. Everyone in your life has a history, it could be your friends, family, or just someone you've met along the way. It's the passion that my dad has for the history of his life and others that connects people on a broader spectrum that one couldn't even imagine.

My dad was brought up in Miami in the '70s, things were changing and people were becoming bolder and the progression of so many aspects of life was occurring. He was a part of history, and we currently are a part of it in this world ourselves at this point in time. We don't realize how much history could bring people together as we just focus on our differences at times and what sets us apart. Luckily, my dad was able to piece together the positive parts of history and start to contribute his own knowledge and passion for his childhood and upbringing in Miami to bring other people together.

A few years ago, my dad started a Facebook page to connect with people that he was brought up with as well as share old pictures and mementos that were special to those who lived nearby. His page has thousands of followers who genuinely love and care about Miami and want to connect with others while sharing and reminiscing on childhood. He lives his history every day within the present, the past, and what he wants the future to be as well. While diving into the past and talking to people that have the same passions as him, there's always a positive aspect that comes out of it. Everyone connects, they feel a sense of belonging and are able to look back together.

It's the "togetherness" that we lack in our society today, there are so many problems that we are focusing on which enable us to give a spotlight to the difficulties in our own lives. The second we are able to look past the foggy hardships and find the shine in a situation, we can laugh a little and try not to be so hard on ourselves. We forget to place our passions as priorities because life gets in the way sometimes, but the more that we allow for our passions to align with our lives, the easier it'll be to find that "togetherness" and happiness within our own line of vision.

So thank you, dad

For showing me how passion could be the highest power of strength in history.