to you

i do not even remember the first time i met you partly because it seem i always knew you and partly because it wasn't necessarily the genesis of what i grew accustomed to know as a friendship that i could depend on as much as i depend on that from my family.



there were moments in my life that you probably do not realize the impact of upon my growth as a person and member of society. moments whereupon you asked me to be true to myself in answering your questions about life, work, actions and intentions. sure that sounds heady for someone who wasn't directly responsible for my development in society but it developed through a tremendous amount of respect that i recognized i held early on in our relationship.



you were the one who asked me why i didn't date your daughter even though you were the same person who naturally unsurprisedly declared, "yeah so?" when that same daughter convinced me to tell you that i was dating a boy for the first time. you provided in those moments a secure sense of acceptance regardless of my fleeting love interests during youth regardless of the gender that caught my eye.



you were the person who i wanted to impress with piano playing because i was once told by another daughter that if i was going to play for you i had better play like i mean it otherwise it wasn't worth playing.



you encouraged me in a way that was not your responsibility. you asked me questions about my path in life during talks in the kitchen. you gave me those withering looks that simultaniously made me quake and think of better ideas. your honesty in response to my thoughts, actions, plans and feelings was constant - one might say that they lacked tact, but those are weaker people because that honesty was never directed to be cruel rather than guiding.



i guess now that you are gone all i want to say is that i love you very much. i know how hard this is going to be for your daughters, your friends, your family and the community at large. you, anne, were a wonderful woman who inspired so much greatness around you. i can only hope that as i continue through life that you will still watch over me as well as everyone else and guide us so that we can remain people of whom you are proud.