Famous parents make the same mistakes all the rest of us do. The only difference, of course, is their mistakes tend to be a lot more famous. Ketcham should be remembered for the good that he did and the happiness he brought to the world. But the best thing, perhaps, to remember about him is that, like us, he wasn't perfect. Yet he had the grace to admit it and to learn from his mistakes.
Life is no cartoon.
You have to sit in a lot of corners, pay for your mistakes and do the best you can. You get back what you put into a child. Sharon Randall is a winner of the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors and the Best of the West commentary awards. Comments are posted to a user forum, which can be accessed by other users. It is not a private communication.