It's hard to believe it's been 15 years since Max had a stroke, but his life has gotten richer and more rewarding since those early, darker years following the stroke.  He visits his pals in a nursing home every week, sits in on classes offered to the Evanston community at Northwestern, and even takes piano lessons using only his left hand.  His reading and speech have improved over time.  His biggest thrill this year was his beloved White Sox winning the World Series.  His brother took him to all the Chicago post-season and Series games, which more than made up for their missing a chance to see the Sox play in a World Series game in 1959 when their dad had tickets but their mother wouldn't let them miss a day of school.  She said, "Don't worry, boys.  You'll have plenty of chances to see the Sox in the World Series when you grow up."  It only took them 46 years!

At the time of our last reunion, I was executive director for a nonprofit providing services for children with disabilities, the National Lekotek Center.  After spending eight rewarding and challenging years there, I left to start the project that I am working on now - writing a book about my mom and her political days on the city council, as mayor and as candidate for governor.  My mom thought I was crazy to want to spend my time on this undertaking, but I'm enjoying it quite a bit even though the writing is much harder than I thought.  Thankfully, my dad kept meticulous news clippings books (70 volumes!) so my research is easier than having to pour through years of micofiche film at the library.  Along with reading about my mom's history, it's fun to read accounts of the times in Lincoln when we were all growing up.  From my own experience on the Evanston City Council (as well as from being older and wiser), I can appreciate so much more now the extraordinary pioneering of my mom in those early days of women in politics and the equally extraordinary support of my dad for her doing it.  I have a book contract with the University of Nebraska Press; my manuscript deadline is the Fall of 2006; and hopefully publication will be the following year.  Besides writing, I also am busy serving on the boards of a Chicago theater, my college, our church, the local community foundation and a small bank in Evanston.