I'm sure every listener out there to some extent feels the same way about their home as I do about Kentucky.

But I genuinely believe that there is something about being from the same state that connects us.

There's something that happens when a stranger says they're from the same place that you call home

that makes this vast world feel a lot smaller,

and it brings the familiar sense of comfort that tugs at you. Yes, I realize that not everyone

from Kentucky has had the same childhood and daily experiences, but I do think that most of us know

the look of bluegrass swaying in the wind,

the smell of a honeysuckle bush in the spring, or of leaves in the fall that have been swept

into piles perfect for jumping. Most of us are the kind who will start talking to you in line at the

grocery store, who will run to help someone in need,

who knows the taste of the perfect glass of sweet tea,

or reminisces about a loved one's recipe for fried chicken,

fried apples, or flaky biscuits.

You know what people mean when they say words and phrases like y'all or bless your heart or that

they're fixing to do something or pittling around or dad gummit or if someone is feeling fair to middling.

You know, a hauler is both a noun and it's a verb. And unless you're from a big city, you say what choney you're from.

And above all, if you're from Kentucky, you know the importance of college basketball.

Our case this week is of a 22-year-old young woman from the bluegrass state who had the whole

world in front of her. She was a loving mother to her two

young boys, the kind of friend who we all need, who will support you when you need supported,

yet tell you the hard truth when that's what you need to hear. She was a fiercely loyal sister to her

siblings, and she loved Kentucky with every fiber of her being.

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