Mary

Mary Fox is the oldest friend of our family.

My first memory of her is of her coming to our home for a visit after a trip downtown, when she brought me the most delicious coconut macaroons. It seems like every time she came to visit us when I was very small, she brought something from a bakery. My sister and I really looked forward to her visits.

In 1956, when I was nine, she accompanied our family on a trip to Niagra Falls. We drove from Charleston, SC, to NY in a new 1955 Buick Century. (I thought it was the most beautiful car in the world. So did my dad.) Mary helped take care of us as we toured the City, and when we went to the Falls, she held my hand as we went down that wet elevator and into the caves under the falls.

She's always been there. When people were sick, she was there. When people died, she was there. When there were parties or special dinners, she was there. She offered stability to my life just because of her presence. And she taught me that being faithful is one of the most important things we can offer to others in our lives. Even when we don't know what we can do, or when we are full of joy at a wedding and can't express how happy we are, or when we are completely lost in another's grief, we can be there. We can be present. We can be faithful.

Mary is a "difference person."