The Silver Lining: How Values Triumph Over Circumstance

Dale C. Stapleton was born to parents who grew up in the deep poverty of Appalachia. Through his parents’ tenacious bravery and example, he rose out of those circumstances, going to college to become an engineer. This memoir explores his roots and examines the path beyond those circumstances. Inspired by the values his parents gave to him, the author explores the path of an engineer, as well as what it means to be a son, a father, and a husband, as he deals with first his father’s death, then a son’s addition, and finally his wife’s illness.

What was it like to be born to parents so attached to the particular geography of Appalachia? How did the author develop the grit to leave and explore a new environment as well as a new set of circumstances? What triumphs came with that journey? What pains? What is the meaning of family, and how do values anchor us in the life we were born into as well as propelling us into the life we design for ourselves? What happens when bad things come, like addiction and illness, and how do values continue to determine our path and direct our decisions?

An exploration of family that will inspire.