First meeting

  1. The day I first arrived, In Swannanoa and was waiting for the moving van to arrive, Ruth walked over from her house to say hello and introduce herself. That encounter lasted over two hours and by the end, I knew Ruth’s whole life, history and the names of all of her family members and church friends. And at the conclusion, I knew I had met a lifelong friend and someone I would learn to love like my mother, and argue with like I did with my father. Her passing has left a hole in my life that will not be filled, except with wonderful memories and many, many good hearted arguments about how we first met!