Goodbye Aunt Patty

My Aunt Patty passed away yesterday; today my time.  All day I've struggled with what to say, if anything, that would be appropriate for this blog and that would honor Patty.  I decided that saying nothing was not an option, so here goes . . .I met with an Iraqi counterpart over lunch a few days ago.  We had met already a couple of times and I've come to like him.  It was the first opportunity we had to go beyond discussing business matters, so I asked him if he had a family.  His eyes lit up as he told me about his wife and two young sons, and the one to come in December.  We talked about our children, our families, the things that matter the most, the things that make life precious.  During that conversation, the joy he expressed in sharing with me his love for his family made me think of Aunt Patty.

Many people love you, as you loved us, and we're all going to miss you.