Subject: [Tweeters] remembering Patricia
Date: Sep 30 11:21:56 2008
From: Amy Cole - amylcole at hotmail.com


Neil's story puts me in mind of a trip I took with Patricia and Alan to the
coast. As always, Patricia was tirelessly cheerful, and each sighting we had
seemed to pour more energy into her. However, at Bowerman Basin, the wind
was up; because of her condition, wind on her skin could be very painful.
Between that and the exertion, she became overwhelmed and we stopped on the
trail for a rest. After a few minutes, she was ready to go again. While we
rested, I was struck by how tenderly Alan calmed and reassured her. As Neil
noted, his presence and support frequently helped her to continue doing what
she loved. On the trip home, Alan became suddenly ill, and Patricia rapidly
switched gears to protect and care for him. She seemed to get bigger before
my eyes as she marshaled her remarkable inner strength. She was a
delightfully gentle, open, sweet soul who, I believe, found much of her will
to keep going in her genuine caring for others. Despite her limitations, she
lived life more fully than most of us ever do. She educated me about
scleroderma, but so much more so about how to live joyfully with whatever
hand life deals you. I will miss her very much.