Condolences

Liz—or Mrs P as she was then—became my temporary second mother during my junior year of high school. Living out an early retirement dream, my parents had moved me abroad, removing me from everything that was familiar. I stuck it out for half a school year, but was utterly miserable. Liz allowed me to return to the USA and finish high school in my hometown of Syracuse. I shared her house with her son and my best friend, Scott. She was a working single mother, but she provided a safe and stable home for Scott and me. We pushed her boundaries and tested her patience regularly, but she tolerated our nonsense and kept us on the (relatively) straight and narrow. I will be forever grateful to Liz for welcoming me into her home and for her kindness, generosity, and surrogate parenting. Because of my friendship with Scott, I saw Liz occasionally over the ensuing years, and the meetings were always cordial and loving. The world is a better place for her having lived in it, and I am a better man for having known her. I will miss her.