Kim, Sorry this is so long in coming - the new job has been keeping me busy. I too love my mom, and owe her a great deal. She taught me to read, love art and music, and in fact it was her red nail polish that safely dimmed my penlight bulb so that I could trace the constellations in H. A. Rey's classic "The Stars: A New Way To See Them"! I'm very sorry for your loss. But I take some measure of comfort in the words of Socrates (via Plato): - - - - - "If ... death is a removal from here to some other place, and if what we are told is true, that all the dead are there, what greater blessing could there be than this, gentlemen? If on arrival in the other world, beyond the reach of our so-called justice, one will find there the true judges who are said to preside in those courts, Minos and Rhadamanthys and Aeacus and Triptolemus and all those other half-divinities who were upright in their earthly life, would that be an unrewarding journey? Put it in this way; how much would one of you give to meet Orpheus and Musaeus, Hesiod and Homer? I am willing to die ten times over if this account is true. It would be a specially interesting experience for me to join them there, to meet Palamedes and Ajax the son of Telamon and any other heroes of the old days... it would be rather amusing I think ; and above all I should like to spend my time there, as here, in examining and searching peoples minds, to find out who is really wise among them, and who only thinks that he is. What would one not give, gentlemen, to be able to question the leader of that great host against Troy, or Odysseus, or Sisyphus, or the thousands of other men and women whom one could mention, to talk and mix and argue with whom would be unimaginable happiness?" "You too, gentlemen of the jury, must look forward to death with confidence, and fix your minds on this one belief, which is certain: that nothing can harm a good [wo]man either in life or after death, and [her] fortunes are not a matter of indifference to the gods." (Plato: "The Last Days of Socrates", Apology, Penguin Books, pp. 75-76 [I highly recommend this book, full of neat gems]). - - - - - I'm confident you will be with her again one day, along with all the other heroes that have passed before us. Along with Socrates, I too look forward to that day. Hope this helps some, -Rich --- Kim Hyatt <khyatt@smithlayton.com> wrote:
With all of you I am mourning the loss of seven souls who gave their lives in an exciting but also dangerous endeavor. I feel for their families and pray for peace to their hearts. I also wanted to share with my friends a loss a bit more personal: My mother passed away yesterday morning. Due to her illness and my desire to remain close to her, I did not join those of you who drove (or flew) to the St. George area to watch Columbia pass over southern Utah. I hope y'all will continue to invite me along for such events. I attribute much of my interest in space and astronomy to my Mom. She was always "game" for such things - from taking my brother and me to the canyons to watch Sputnik pass overhead to purchasing our first telescope, a Gilbert "80 power" (WOW!) toy. Anyone would be very lucky to have had or to have a mother like mine. God bless her.
Kim A. Hyatt, AIA SL&A Architects 331 South Rio Grande, Suite 304 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 801.322.5550 x122
__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com