In Memory of Nancy

My long-time friend M just E-mailed me that her mother, Nancy, passed away on December second, after many years of battling heart and kidney disease. I'd like to take this moment to remember Nancy, and what she was to me.

It's no secret that when M and I were seeing each other, my dad and step-mother did not approve of the relationship. But Nancy always welcomed me into her home, and made me feel a part of M's family. I was included in visits to M's grandparents on holidays. One of the best Fourth of Julys I ever had was spent this way; and she turned one of the worst Christmases ever (when M and I were made unwelcome in my house) into a holiday worth remembering for the good as well as the bad. When I went off to college, Nancy allowed me to stay in her home every weekend so M and I could sustain our relationship. And when things were rough between me and M, Nancy was a comfort to me. If it were not for her, I would probably have lost contact with M long ago. It was she who acted as an intermediary when for various reasons, M and/or I couldn't contact each other directly.

For all these reasons, I want to celebrate Nancy's life; to thank her for the blessing of her caring about me as well as her daughter; and to offer my prayer that she finds her place within God's eternal love and grace. Thank you, Nancy. You will be missed.