It’s been 16 years since I said goodbye to this big-hearted human being. I thought the world of her, and she the same of me. She was simple, yet smart. Hard working and generous. We could sit on the couch and talk for hours. Mostly history. It fascinated her… so it fascinated me. Her dream had been to teach history, but the closest she came to a class room was as the school’s cook.
She taught me how to love coffee and finally forgave me when, as a pre-teen, I returned from the local party store with instant coffee instead of the real thing (instant was cheaper, so of course that must be what she wanted!!!). Oh how she loved to retell that story!
She taught me many things, not with words but with her life. She laughed hard, worked hard, and loved hard. I never stop missing her. Her brief phone calls. Her hugs. Her delight in me. She changed my world!
