Annie had been after me to write down a visitor submit for years and I had at all times declined. She stated we had been “muddling by way of leukaemia” collectively. Which is true. However this weblog was HERS. Individuals needed to listen to from her; to get her knowledge; to be comforted by her phrases and perception; to be challenged about how they considered the world. She taught us all a lot about power and braveness, compassion and variety, proper and flawed, residing and dying. She made us snicker and cry, typically in the identical sentence.
Annie died in hospice yesterday morning. She wasn’t in ache and was snug proper to the top. Regardless of her earlier misgivings about being in hospice, this time she knew it was the place she wanted to be. The wonderful workers made her really feel secure and eased her thoughts, which is probably the most valuable reward, each of us might have obtained.
Over the previous few weeks we had day by day chats about her life and what her legacy can be. Her questioning wasn’t due to narcism. Somewhat it was as a result of she needed to know that she made a distinction. That she helped folks. It wasn’t about feeding her personal ego. It was about her overwhelming want to care for folks. She truly apologised final week for “abandoning her followers”. Sure, these had been her phrases. A real caretaker of hearts and souls till the top.
In line with Annie’s strict rule of 500 phrases or much less, I provide this as her legacy. She will likely be remembered for her kindness, heat, and generosity, each of money and time. She had an incredible skill to make folks really feel necessary and that she was really listening to them. Annie confirmed us how you can contact folks’s lives and to benefit from on daily basis. She reminded us that life is brief and valuable. She exemplified the tenet “it’s higher to offer, than take”.
She had a superb thoughts and made folks snicker, usually and laborious. She taught us to be sincere however by no means imply or merciless. She was dependable and at all times put others earlier than herself. She was a superb pal. And an important baker. She set the bar on what it means to be a good particular person. She impressed us to be courageous, robust, and type.
Gone however by no means forgotten, I hope you’ll proceed to be impressed by Annie’s legacy. I do know she impressed me on daily basis to be a greater particular person. I hope you bought as a lot from Annie’s weblog as she did. Now that might make her smile.
Thanks for all of your love and help these previous 4 years.
xo J
Annie in a library (the place else would she be?) in Vienna.