How blessed we are to live in this country. My daughter, Libby Martinez, a writer and lawyer, and I thoroughly enjoy writing children’s books together. We and our family have such warm memories of the aunt, Ignacia Delgado, who inspired I Pledge Allegiance. She called us her “lobitos,” her little wolves, and we all called her Lobo, our mother wolf. How she gave us treats and protected us and prayed for us. What an example!

My grandparents all came to this country from Mexico as did my dad when he was a little boy. None of my grandparents spoke English, but Lobo became totally bilingual. I feel so fortunate to be bilingual too.

This is a complex and challenging time when as a wealthy nation, we think and work together to uphold the ideals that make the United States great, to have policies that respect those who wish to come here.