Our networks
I remember my grandfather. My father died when I was a baby and I my mother and I lived with my maternal grandparents. I was too young when he died to appreciate the importance of his presence and attention in my life. My family is a critical support network to me now. I have not cultivated much of a network with my work colleagues. I recognize this as a potential problem because if I experience a tragic family loss I don’t have a good friend outside of the loss to provide support.

I would like to think that the kindness of a mother who cared for me numerous times during the middle of the night during one of my asthma attacks (prior to epinephrine atomizers). I’ll never forget sitting with her on the small porch wrapped in a blanket under the stars while I struggled to breath in the cool night air.