Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton arrived in our small Pa. city this afternoon a little after 12 noon.

He was campaigning for his wife Hillary Clinton as part of the "Solutions for America" campaign.

When I received the electronic phone call yesterday afternoon that he would be here, I thought I heard wrong. Then I checked Hilary Clinton's website and low and behold, it looked like he was making this city a place to stop in his itinerary.

I still wasn't sure this morning, so I set out to find the truth.

Sure enough, as I turned the bend at the Dairy Queen, there were police cars at every corner and I knew he was soon to arrive.

The former President was going to speak from a house not far from the street I grew up on. I know the neighborhood well and some of the families from my youth still live there.

We waited and waited and finally he appeared from inside a supporters home.

He was tall, gray and thinner than I have seen him in a long time. A handsome man! Believe it or not, he is much better looking in person. And dressed to the nines!!!

By the way, he wears red plastic framed reading glasses!

A larger than life figure and a celebrity in his own right! His presence alone commands your attention.

As a speaker, he is awesome!

He talked for some time (maybe an hour) and shook people's hands and spoke with them afterwards.

I was right in front of him, but too far back to get a handshake.

I wanted to thank him for the Family Care Medical Act that he approved in 1993.

One of the things that this act allows is that family members who are primary caretakers can take time from work to care for their their immediate family member needs during a time of illness, without the worry and fear of losing their jobs.

I have used this several times for my Mom. It allowed me to help her out a lot.

During the last year of her life, she would thank me every day for being there for her. Sometimes she would thank me 2 or 3 times in one visit.

I remember my manger, Pam, telling me several times that I had Bill Clinton to thank for FMLA.

I was hoping that moment had arrived.

I wanted to thank Bill Clinton, but could not get to the front line in time to do so. For some reason I will never know, it was not meant to be.

He allowed to me to have precious quality time with the person who had helped me most in life.

An act of kindness and compassion for primary caretakers and their family members across the nation.

Thank you, President Clinton.