People I've Known

J: You told me you loved me then married someone else. I never forgave you.

R: I recall he tried to hit me once. It was the last time he saw me. He's divorced now. His ex got everything. What could one expect from a bowling alley attendant?

Rue Green: Nurse. Kindness embodied. Comfort while my mother lay dying in the middle of the living room. I looked forward to seeing her knitting progress when I got up every morning.

J. called me tenacious. He was a moron, but I am tenacious.

M. was an only child who doted on his aged adoptive parents. He told me I was demanding.

C. called me b*tch. I laughed.

The lady at the World Trade Center who sounded so calm in the midst of the fury. I wish I could thank her personally. I'll never forget her voice.

V. , still one of the most influential people I know. Human, powerful, funny and dear. You are loved.