Life Lessons: A Remembrance

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  1. Hey Dr. MIller,
    What a beautiful tribute to your Mom. I just discovered your site.
    I lost my mother in 2006. Thanks for all of your kindnesses to me while I was at Rutgers.
    Regards,
    Bobby Rampey

  2. Richard,

    I remember your mother so fondly. She tried valiantly to teach me French at Shimer College back in the mid-sixties. I was among the many students who loved her and appreciated her ability to see our attempts at learning in the most generous way. Thank you for writing such a warm and evocative memoir.

    Ellen

  3. There’s a fortune cookie somewhere that says: wise folks know they’re “waist deep in the malodorous mixture of indifference and incompetence that bureaucracies promote and reward”, but they strive to accomplish things (malodors notwithstanding). I hope I’m as good a parent as your mothers sounds.

  4. AHH! This is utterly wonderful and brought tears to my eyes. Your mother made a lasting impression on me, even though I only spent a total of about 3 or 4 hours in her presence. Thanks for this remembrance, and we could not agree more on the conclusion– we are here to serve (“serve or suffer,” one of my wise friends says).

    1. I’m tempted to say serve and suffer, but one of the lessons I try to take here is that there is a joy that comes from service,a joy that’s there even though one is often waist deep in the malodorous mixture of indifference and incompetence that bureaucracies promote and reward. Some days it’s easier to access that joy than others….

  5. The most beautifully written memoir I have read. Your mother was an amazing women. Thank you for sharing her with me.

  6. Richard,

    Your Mom reminds me so much of my Mom. They were smart enough to know that life is a journey, not a destination. May we all enjoy the journey – live, laugh, and love!

    Cheryl

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