A Light Extinguished

A light became evermore dim and finally died out this week. "B" was a force in so many lives that she will be remembered by many from all walks of life. She died after several years with a form of cancer that spares 96% of people who have it. Ironic as that seems, she never did act as most ill persons. Her past history of illness ran from the rare to the unusual, and I often told her that if I were her physician, I would run out the back door when I saw her enter my office.

Her life began in Norway but ended after 40+ years in Switzerland. She and her husband, "A" produced three children that I often called "Stepford" children. They in turn, had grandchidren that are superlative. These gave her great grandchildren before she died. I have no idea how any step children there are to count. Numerous kids from Switzerland, the Balkans, and elsewhere lived for varying periods in her home. To this day, they all remember her. I am certain that more will turn up at her memorial service.

Then, there are the "step adults" who were fortunate enough to become her charges while vacationing in Switzerland. These people and their activities would fill a sizable book, and they all remembered the lady with a smile who could seemingly make things gone wrong OK again. The stories that she could tell about American tourists were many and always showed the fun she had with them. One of her cures for a kranky American was to invite that person to sit and have some Congnac. A lot of fussy folks have left her house feeling much better than they entered. She and "A" always planned a weekend excursion with the Americans in a car, so they go places that were not always reached eaisily by public transport. These along with frequent dinners helped make her a favorite with all her guests and resulted in many repeat visits. These Americans reciprocated when she traveled to the USA. People actually got mad when she and "A" were not able to visit just them. Everyone always considered them "their" friends. They certainly had more friends in the USA than I did.