Good golly, Miss Molly. Time certainly flies when you’re having a ball. I can’t believe it’s already November. Fall is most definitely in the air, and the locals are amidst a transition on many fronts. High school football playoffs are here, and the basketball junkies are gearing up for another season soon. I am looking forward to sharing their stories.

Election Day has since passed. Thank heavens kids. I don’t know about you, but I was getting awfully tired of the negative ads. No matter where you look — way too many promises and bogus claims. Fuzzy math and unbalanced budgets only lead to additional foolish spending and higher taxes. I love the idea and feel that there is a greater need for more transparency. But this all seems to go by the wayside after his or her campaign.

Congrats to my mates who may have won. And for those who didn’t — please remember to take down all of your signs in the next thirty days. OK, enough with the politics.

November is very special for my family, as the Spencers will join hundreds of thousands around the globe in observing the March of Dimes’ Prematurity Awareness Month. Our Jensen Michael was born two and half months early. He weighed just a shade over three pounds and spent a grueling total of 86 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Janet Wise.

Jensen overcame many obstacles at an early age, and there isn’t a day that goes by where my wife and I don’t give thanks. We are truly blessed as our little miracle continues to grow. We do whatever we can to give back.

Prematurity is actually quite common. An estimated 15 million babies around the world are born premature each year and more than one million of them unfortunately do not survive. Although the United States has seen sustained improvements, our nation still has one of the highest rates of preterm birth of any industrialized country. Some say one out of every ten is an early birth.

The March of Dimes is the brain trust behind this effort. They are the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. Many have benefited from March of Dimes’ research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs for the past 75 years.

Prematurity Awareness events are scheduled throughout November. Many landmarks in several states, including the Empire State Building in New York City, will be shining in purple light to symbolize hope for a healthy start for more babies. There will be several professional education programs, as well as family events and gatherings right here in central Pennsylvania.

Mark your calendars folks, as November 17 will be recognized as the seventh annual World Prematurity Day. It’s a festive occasion as many families and volunteers share stories and videos on social media about babies born too soon.

Unfortunately I don’t own a shade of purple so I might have to get creative. Perhaps I could grow some facial hair to show my support. That’s it. I’m definitely on to something here. Please join me this Movember as we honor and bring awareness to all of our little preemie friends. I am keeping my ‘stasche.