On May 1, 1991, we became the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy, our first born. Dakota Blackman Page was creative, spirited, and oh so very cute. Born four weeks early, he was ready to take on the world.
   On January 6, 1994, in a moment's notice, our lives changed forever. Dakota was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After two years of surgeries, chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant, Dakota died one week before his fifth birthday.
   Through it all, Dakota was still a creative, spirited and loving little boy. His resilience to be "normal" while living with cancer, kept our family strong. In his short life, he taught us the importance of making each day count. He showed us how to celebrate life, even when faced with death. Dakota was and still is our inspiration.
   When Dakota died, Alan bought our younger son, Dylan, a wind chime so he could "talk" with his big brother. When the chimes rang, Dakota was speaking to us. That was our initial experience with the healing powers of the wind. Little did we know that a spontaneous wind storm would blow in during Dakota's memorial service. The minister began the service by referring to an ancient belief. "When a soul dies, the wind will blow. And the greater the soul, the greater the winds." The wind storm confirmed our belief that Dakota was the greatest of all souls and that he was still with us in spirit. Today, the wind continues to remind us of Dakota's presence and his enduring love.
   Dakota Winds began because of our need to cope with grief. It is growing because of our faith in better and brighter tomorrows. Dakota continues to inspire us as do our other children - Dylan and Skye - who are happy, healthy, and full of life. They give us a reason to live, to love and to share our love.