Friday, September 21, 2012
Dear Fred and Mickie:
I am so sad about the death of your mother.
Audrey made a pivotal difference in my life. Early on when, as a pre-adolescent, I was new to Garrett County, new to Oakand and felt shy and oh-so-awkward.
Your mother''s warmth, her generosity of spirit, allowed me to bask in her recognition of me as someone worth the effort to encourage. She demonstrated this belief in me countless times during the following decade, sometimes when I had earned it, and sometimes when it was only her faith in me that led to her positive take.
Your mother was a pivotal influence on my life. She invited me to believe in myself. And, because I so valued her for that, after fits and starts, I did, in fact, eventually became the person she thought I might be.
F& M: Please love your mother, always, no matter what conflicts you may have experienced. Because your mother, Audrey, knew how to love.
And I am sure that there are many people, other than me, who could and would say the same.
THANK YOU, Audrey, for your extraordinary gift of INCLUSION. I will never, ever forget you. And, if I can, I will forward that gift, to others who need it.
