Dedicated
To my mother, Joyce A. Nichols
You were more than a mother—you were a force of love, strength, and generosity that touched everyone around you.
You hauled me and my brothers to every football, basketball, and baseball practice and game, always cheering us on. You were our Boy Scout pack leader, Summer Camp staff, Team Mother, Sunday school teacher—and the community mom whose door was always open.
Our house was the gathering place for neighborhood kids, and your heart was the gathering place for anyone in need. Whether you were co-managing the Conyers Clothes Closet for over 30 years, working as a school bus monitor for special needs children, delivering hot meals, or cleaning homes for the elderly and sick—you served others with quiet grace and deep compassion.
You were truly a special person, and I miss you every single day. This book is for you, with all my love and gratitude.
