Over the past couple years I haven't written as much as I wanted. If I did write it was usually deleted because I didn't think it was good enough or that I wasn't writing from the heart. a couple weeks ago I finally realized the reason why.
About two years ago a very good friend, much like an adopted grand-mother, passed away. It had come as a surprise, and ironically I found out on-line. After not hearing from my friend for a few months I got the perverse notion to Google her and was stunned when I found her obituary.
Bonnie Merritt was my mother's sixth grade teacher who I was introduced to via mail at age 11 or 12 and who I continued a life-long correspondence with until her death. Not only did she take the time to listen to a pre-teen's problems and interests but she also furthered his interest in the printed word, both reading and writing. She was there to listen to all this writer's stories about his then-girl friends, heartaches, marriage plans and she was there to become (in her words) my son's "great grand mother" and started writing to him as well, continuing a trend she had started with his father.
Along the way I learned of her love of of teaching, volunteer work, music aspirations and how she had taught her children to sing harmony - she even played the zither! She taught convicts in jail, wrote an autobiography and even when in the nursing home became a social director of sorts. There was no rest for Bonnie until the end (and she's probably doing the office work and filing for St Peter as I write this, teaching the angel the meaning of the word "pique")
It wasn't until I was a young adult that I appreciated the kind of woman Bonnie was, how she had to put herself through school and still be a wife, mother and home-maker; she still makes an impression on my life and she and I had bandied the idea of visiting her in Florida on 100th. Looking back I wonder if she had already known of her mortality and didn't want to speak of it to her long-time friend or actually thought she would be with us until then.
Be assured that she will always be with me and my family.
Rest in Peace Bonnie
