I don't get to see my family very often these days. I live in Japan. My brother, Michael, has been working in Sydney for some time now. Our parents, Simon and Diana, live in Labrador on the Gold Coast. But this photo was taken just this past Christmas when we all found time for a break together over the Australian summer.

When we first moved into Labrador in 1987, we were renting, but these days, finally, Mum and Dad own the house. The back deck on which we took this photo is just one of many improvements they've made since buying it. It was built after I left for Japan, so I was especially glad to come home, see it, and share it with the whole family. Mum, Dad and Michael are warm, hard-working, intelligent people. Now that I'm a little older and wiser, I can appreciate that they've all come a long way through some tough times to be where they are today. And they've always been there for me. That's why my first page about great people is about them. Mum, Dad, Michael, good on ya. I love you.