In September 2003, a group of dads formed a YMCA Princess tribe. The bedrock of our tribe was each dad’s love for his kindergarten daughter and his desire to share exclusive time with her. The tribe began like any other but quickly grew into something special. On our first campout, unbeknownst to we dads, a seed was planted. Over time, as we watched our Princesses come together as Sisters, so also a bond developed between the dads. It came to be known as the Bond of Brothers. If you’re a dad with kindergarten kids, before you realize it, the tide of time will wash them from your arms and into the ocean of teenage years, college, and adult life. The Princess and Guide programs, while not sea anchors slowing time, will fill you with memories of the precious moments you shared. It is a time for you and your daughter or son…exclusively. They may not remember what you did together, but they will never forget that you were together. Treasure these moments—they’ll be gone in the dip of a dove’s wing. Dads, treasure the adult friendships formed at this time as well. They are built not upon sports or politics, but upon a deeper relationship that allows “passport” into one another’s lives. This Bond will reveal itself in action and word as you travel the treacherous road of life. Decades from now, a dad will meet you and say, with a knowing smile upon his face, “Do you remember when we…” And the ember of that question will bring forth a fire of fond memories.                                   Age is the price of life…memories, the crown. When asked by Lenn Kaptain to write the foreword for “Thirteen Years of Tigua”, I was honored. Yes, I enjoyed the book, and yes, it brought back wonderful memories of years spent as principal of the girls’ elementary school. But mostly, I agreed to write the foreword because I’m a sucker for a great love story. “Thirteen Years of Tigua” is a love story between fathers and their daughters. Using father-daughter campouts as the vehicle, the story recounts the journey of a loosely knit group of giggling kindergarteners who emerge thirteen years later as accomplished young women. Along the way, both fathers and daughters discover some universal truths. The author initially states a fear that “the ravages of time will erode some or all of these memories.” As time passes, he recognizes it is not just the specific memories (or in many cases wild, crazy antics!) of the campouts that must remain intact but, rather, the love between a father and his daughter that transcends time, soggy tents, and sleeping bags. It is that love that surrounded these daughters for thirteen years and continues today, that equips them to “go forth and fearlessly strive for that which allows you to love life…not merely live it.” Mary Richey, EdD