A Woman of Wit and Warmth

Today is marked by a sad occasion, the wake for my great and good friend JCo's mother. Mrs Conner passed away a week ago, so I will be joining her seven children and multiple grandchildren to commemorate her life. She was a woman of wit and warmth, a gracious host to her children's friends, and a fount of wise advice. In many respects, she reminded me of my own mother- they had a similar sense of values, a similar set of priorities... which they both instilled in their children and grandchildren. In retrospect, this is one of the reasons why JCo and I spent a lot of time hanging out at each other's houses... there was a sense of familiarity, in the most basic form. Both houses were also places where our friends would congregate- when you're a member of a large family, having friends over is a common occurrence. What's another four or five kids when you've got seven already under the roof?

I was always fortunate growing up, in that I had some incredible role models and a fantastic peer group. This weekend, I will be commemorating an incredible role model along with some of my most fantastic peers. I would not have become the man that I am without these people.