Hero of the Week

I'm a news hound. Everyday I skim through two newspapers. The local news plays in the background while I get the kids ready for school. I then watch bits and pieces of the Today show. It starts all over come dinner time when I review the local news for the second time, then the national news. I give much thanks to my mom and my history teachers for this love, but at times I have to admit it's depressing.

A common trend I find in the news today is the reporting of tragedy, violence and just complete nonsense. It seems the more ridiculous you act, the more likely you are to wake up with reporters on your lawn. While these stories tend to get the bulk of network attention, the stories that we wish we heard more often get only 30 seconds or so. Often there's not even a picture.

I claim no journalist abilities, but I know a good story when I hear one. With that said, I've decided to start a weekly column in my blog saluting a hometown hero. And although this may be a Mom blog, father's indeed get a vote. Even children for that matter. If you've gone above and beyond, you deserve to be noticed. For now, I will be pulling candidate's from reported headlines. Once I get a bit more established, I would like to call on my readers to submit votes.

The Hometown Hero I have chosen this week is New Jersey father David Goldman. In 2004 David's wife took their son Sean to Brazil to visit family. She never returned. Instead, she divorced David, remarried and began a new life. The tragedy continued when David's now ex-wife died while giving birth to another child.

David has been fighting from day one to have the custody of his son returned to him. This past week it looked as if this may happen, but while en route to Brazil the ruling was changed.

I chose David as my first Hometown Hero because of his courage, and his endearing love for his child.

It's anyone's guess how this situation is going to end. I can't even say if what David is doing is entirely right. It appeared that although what his ex wife did was illegal, she always provided a loving environment for Sean. This is all that Sean knows. Is it actually feasible to remove a child from one country and expect him to thrive in another after losing his mother and being taken from everything that is familiar? I unfortunately do not have that answer.

Whether right or wrong, David never gave up. And that is why this week, he has been chosen my first Hometown Hero.