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"I'm writing this in a very beautiful park down at the waterfront. It's a picture perfect day; the sky is deep blue; there are white puffy clouds in the sky. I can see Mt. Rainier in the distance, and its majestic beauty is stunning.
"There's a young couple nearby, walking with their twins. The twins are dressed the same--no shirts, with cover-alls, and baseball hats.
"Seeing kids with normal, loving parents who really seem to care about them is a bitter-sweet experience for me. On one hand it hurts because I'm reminded of the stark contrast between parents who most likely want what's best for their kids, and the kind of parents I had, who were really only concerned about my welfare as far as they could use me for a favorable political commodity.
"On the other hand it brings me such joy to see kids like these little twins running around, because I am so thankful that they have a good shot at happiness and success in life. They have a loving, caring family to stand behind them, and don't have to struggle with the horrible memories and abuse that many of us who grew up in the Family do.
"It gives me hope that that one day [The Family leadership's] evil legacy will die with the Family, and it will be only a distant or, better yet, forgotten bad memory."
--Ricky Rodriguez, June 2002
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