Larry V DykstraFollowing his retirement as a corporate executive in 2009, Larry V. Dykstra pursued a number of experiences intended to stretch him as a person. Th ese activities explored three broad themes: playing music with and for others, serving hospitalized chldren, and exploring matters of spirituality and healing. Along the way, Larry found that stringing words together on paper was a useful tool for helping himprocess his thoughts and fi nd meaning.Since 2010, Larry has spent more than seven hundred hours in children's hospitals volunteering as both a KidLinks therapeutic music entertainer and as a chaplain in the Pastoral Care Department. His 2015 book, Musical Hugs: Succeeding through Serving, One Song at aTime, chronicles Larry's journey from defining success in terms of what he did for a living to viewing it as what he did for others. In MusicalHugs, he shares stories of the positive impact that music and personal presence can have on those who are suffering. For more information, visit his website at MusicalHugs. com.In 2016, Larry edited and published his father's World War II memoir, In the Service of My Country: I Never Regretted a Day. In this book, Ralph Dykstra was able to share events from the fifty missions he completed as flight engineer on a B-24 bomber more than seventy years earlier. His stories bear witness to bravery and cowardice, laughter and tears, the tragedy and triumph that accompany war. Sharing thebook with hundreds of family and friends allowed the ninety-three-year-old veteran to be recognized for his role as member of the "greatestgeneration."In 2025, Larry published My Redemption from Pluto: Lessons Learned from Life's Relationships. Th is book is composed of thirty-two essays which reveal lessons about the four types of relationships we all have in life - with ourselves, with others, with the world around us, and with the Divine. Larry's hope is that these stories open a pathway into each reader's personal learning journey.As a musician, Larry is gifted with the ability to lead informal singalongs that engage audiences. He is an active member of multiple ensembles. Depending on the group, song, and audience, Larry handles a combination of rhythm guitar, mandolin, and lead or backup vocals. Larry currently resides in Dallas, Texas, and has been married to his best friend, Sandy Stroo, for forty-five years.. His favorite part of each week is the regular "Taco Tuesday" family dinners with sons, Charlie and Evan; Charlie's wife, Molly; and their two children, Emerson and Owen.To contact Larry, or to get more information about Larry and his writing, visit: authorlarryvdykstra.com. Read More Read Less