Eddie’s father was born in Hungary. He came to America seeking a better life for himself and his family. He took the first job he could get — janitor.

Where others may view mopping and cleaning as demeaning work, Eddie’s father surely didn’t. He saw a future.

He started his own cleaning business. He began by cleaning small commercial buildings and kept moving his way up.

His company was soon maintaining larger buildings. He soon had the means to send his sons to college — to develop their business skills to help him keep growing the business.

He built himself a nice stone home in the suburbs — the home in which Eddie Gabor would live the rest of his life.

The story of Eddie’s father is an American story. Through hard work, he made an incredible life for his family, and he unwittingly made an incredible life for my grandmother.

As I first drove by Eddie Gabor’s old house, I was initially filled with sadness — sad that my grandmother and Eddie have been gone nearly 20 years already.

But as all the memories came flooding back — as I pieced together what the old house really symbolizes — I couldn’t help but smile.

Despite America’s temporary setbacks, I prefer to focus on the incredible blessings our country bestowed on Eddie’s father, Eddie, my grandmother and my family.

I plan to drive by Eddie Gabor’s old house every Fourth of July.

Tom Purcell, a humor columnist for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Visit Tom on the web at www.TomPurcell.com or e-mail him at Purcell@caglecartoons.com.