Acomedian once noted, "You know you're in Pittsburgh if the guy helping you at Home Depot doesn't even work there." I had the privilege of growing up in this friendly city amidst an ever-loving, always feasting Italian clan. It was there that I learned that family is everything. And so is faith. And food.

For me, creative endeavors are important, as well. From the moment I wrote my first poem in fourth grade, I was hooked. Eventually there were essays, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, and every type of advertising imaginable - from TV and radio commercials to billboards to annual reports. After a few decades in the corporate world, I received an MFA in Writing degree from Vermont College, decided it was time to pursue a lifelong dream, and traded in my corner office for a writing nook under the eaves at home. It helped that by then I had a business to sell - an ad agency that afforded me not only a fulfilling career but also the luxury, at last, of sitting in my PJs at three o'clock in the afternoon writing words that connect me with you.

These days, my husband, Randy, and I make our home in a vibrant small town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. My most cherished joy is spending time with him and visiting with my two out-of-town daughters and two granddaughters. And so, it seems, I am back where I started. Family is everything.

The story continues at facebook.com/JanGroftAuthor. Hope to see you there!