Kristie Brown is a homeschooling mom who has dedicated her life to creating a better world for her children and future generations. Self‑taught in languages, cooking, sewing, gardening, and more, she has spent countless hours in independent study. She believes children are the foundation of tomorrow, and it is her calling to give them opportunities and a life richer than those who came before us.

In the summer of 1995, we were having a family get-together at my grandparents’ house on Walker Street in Des Moines, Iowa. I was five years old, playing outside, but I could still hear all the adults talking about my grandparents’ neighbor to the right of their home. It was a woman who was unusual and kept to herself. She had a beautiful Victorian home, but what captivated me was hiding behind it. I could see all the wildflowers peeking through her backyard fence.

The adults debated calling the city on her for having such a wild yard and said she must have bugs and rodents in her home. I did not agree with them, but being five, I knew to keep my mouth shut when the adults were talking. I remember seeing all the life in the yard. The purple cone flowers and the dozens of butterflies sparked my imagination. I was the only one in the neighborhood who admired the yard.

Until recently, I didn’t realize how much this particular moment in my life would affect me as an adult. I was consumed with envy, and I wanted to live there with her.