As I read replies to notices I posted of her death, I was impressed with how many of Susan’s friends and colleagues mentioned the joy my sister brought to their lives. Be it authors she helped throughout the last three decades or classmates she has not seen since junior high and high school, the remembrances spoke of her cheerful spirit, helpfulness, and sense of humor. She would have been surprised, overwhelmed, and touched by the outpouring.
I’ve also been asked why a charity in Boise was chosen for donations in her memory. The answer is simple. On a business trip many years ago, she had the opportunity to visit The World Center for Birds of Prey, which is the headquarters of The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit founded in 1970 that conserves endangered raptors around the world. The beauty and majesty of the birds spoke to her, and the center’s hands-on commitment to education and conservation left a lasting impression.
In 2021, we had the opportunity to “buy a brick” during an expansion to construct a new education center, landscape-based peregrine falcon and hawk exhibits, a family-friendly courtyard, and an outdoor classroom. With elements of play and exploration built into their facilities, children engage in hands-on STEM-based learning, and visitors of all ages have the opportunity to see themselves as scientists and, through the lens of raptor conservation, learn how we can all play a role in conserving our wildlife and wild places. For our brick, we were able to write our own message. That too was a simple decision: Always Remember to Soar.
Pursue Your Dreams
Great tragedy is a time to reflect on what we have lost. It can be devastating and truly be The Hardest Days of Our Lives. But through the darkness, we must find our way and keep moving forward. And in so doing, we must remember to honor those we have lost by living the lives they would want us to have. We must remember to act with purpose. We must remember to value our time with others. We must always act with kindness, generosity, and a caring spirit. And we must always remember to soar.