With ten years of classroom experience, elementary teacher Lauren Beck knows a thing or two about children and the compassion they need to thrive as learners and leaders. In addition to serving as a hard-working second grade teacher in Buncombe County Schools (Asheville, NC), Lauren is a busy mom whose home is filled with the delightful squeals of laughter and love from her nine-year-old twin girls, Ryleigh and Braelyn, and four-year-old son, Liam.

Nancy McDonald turns 70 this year. She is the proud mother of five children, fourteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. When she lost her mother about six years ago, Nancy took possession of the large collection of photos and genealogy records which grew her pre-existing collection to over 11,000 photos. She recently began to worry about the vulnerability of these boxes stuffed in closets and what would happen to them if her health suddenly took a turn.

Previously, I thought it was just an obvious concept: don’t drink while you are pregnant. But I was left wondering why we don’t talk about alcohol consumption and pregnancy more.