Author J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973) led a full life, yet he always put his family first. For over 70 years, he created Middle-earth complete with its own geography, time, languages, and history. Alongside his writing, his vivid illustrations bring his visions into our world.  Besides his fiction, Tolkien was an Oxford don (similar to a U.S. professor) and renowned scholar of Old and Middle English. But perhaps most important to Tolkien was that he was a father.  Orphaned at just 12 years old, he always made time for his wife and their four children. He worked from home marking papers, writing lectures, seeing students, and creating Middle-earth. For 23 years, Tolkien designed Christmas cards and stories from Father Christmas for his children. As the years went by, the content of those tales darkened to stories of goblins and elves, perhaps in line with the development of “The Lord of the Rings” …