Every once in a while, life offers a quiet, sacred moment — one that makes you pause and reflect on the deeper threads that connect generations. Reading a recent article about my son, Evan Tucker, was one of those moments for me.
Originally published in the Florida Times-Union and now appearing in USA Today and newspapers across the country, the article is titled:
“Fishing buddies angling for Florida to finally tackle pollution.”
Evan is quoted as a passionate advocate for protecting Florida’s waterways. What moved me most wasn’t just his environmental concern — it was the heart behind his words. My son is now speaking not just as a fisherman, but as a father, deeply aware of the world he’s leaving behind for his children and grandchildren.
As I read, memories of my own journey came flooding back. Years ago, I was active in the Tea Party movement, not for political power or attention, but out of a sincere desire to leave behind a better America. I was fighting for the future of my children — and Evan was watching. At times, he didn’t fully understand the depth of my passion. There were times he wondered if “Mom had gone off the deep end.” But as life unfolded, he matured, married, became a father — and slowly, he began to understand his mother’s mission.
Now, I see the same fire in him — shaped by his own experiences, expressed in his own way. Evan doesn’t stand at a podium. He stands on the deck of his boat, fishing rod in hand, voice steady, values grounded. He’s channeling the same sense of responsibility I once felt, but through a lens that’s uniquely his. That’s when it struck me: our children carry more than our names or features — they carry our grit, our values, and our deepest beliefs. Not just in their memories… but in their DNA.
Even if their path looks different, even if their fight sounds unfamiliar, the spirit is the same. It’s there. It shows up when the time is right.
So to every parent and grandparent reading this: don’t lose hope in the generations behind us. They are watching. Listening. Absorbing more than we know. And when their moment comes, they will rise — often in ways that surprise and inspire us.
My son’s advocacy is a reminder that legacy isn’t always what you imagined it to be but there will be a piece of you inside the work your children do in life. DNA is real – or in Evan’s case it’s found in his rod and reel!!
Read the full article about Evan and his mission here.
