Last week I was in Brookings for the first time in a few years. I was there for my grandmothers funeral. After leaving the church, as we were on our way to the cemetery, with the fine officers from the Brookings PD leading the way and stopping traffic, my wife and sons and I saw something that humbled us and made us proud. There was a group of boys, young men, playing baseball at Medary Park along Eighth Street South. We didnt see an adult coach or any adult with them. But what we did see was 10 to 12 young men, facing the road, holding their ball caps in their hands, paying respect.

I am positive none of those young men knew who the funeral procession was for. Im pretty sure none of them had ever met my 97-year-old grandmother. Yet they stopped their practicing, turned and paid respect. It brought tears to my eyes that day, just as it is now as I type this.

If you were one of those young men playing ball on that field that day, I want to say thank you. If you are a parent of one of those young men, I want to thank you as well. With all of the other garbage happening in our country right now, all of the negative we see on the news, it was touching to see that kind of respect for someone these guys never knew. Be proud of the way these young men acted. Keep teaching them what you have been, it is working. They will continue to make you, your community, and our world proud.

Read more here:

Be proud of our youth - Brookings Register