Welcome to Milkweed and Monarchs! I’m Dawn Klem, and today, I’m sharing a deeply personal story—one that shaped my understanding of resilience, family, and the weight of history.

This episode is about my dad, Nicholas. He was a force in my life, a man who carried the scars of a difficult childhood and turned them into strength. His story begins in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where his father—my grandfather—was involved in bootlegging during Prohibition. But life took a tragic turn when my dad, just nine years old, walked home from school to find his mother dead on the floor. That moment changed everything.

From navigating loss to growing up in a world shaped by the Great Depression, my dad’s journey was anything but ordinary. He was a rule-follower, a man who believed in doing the right thing, even when his past was steeped in chaos. And yet, despite the hardships, he found his own path—one that would ultimately shape the person I am today.

So join me as I take you through the first chapter of my dad’s story. It’s a tale of survival, identity, and the lessons we carry from those who came before us.