Fern was a Classic

I could say that having Fern in my life was, in many ways, akin to having a wonderfully long, superbly-written novel resting close by. The kind of novel that draws the reader in and holds her ever close. The kind of novel that hooks her from page one! The kind that she can’t put down!

Yes, from day one, Fern pulled me in and held my curiosity, my attention, my admiration and my love. Actually, of course I could put her down to go about my daily activities, but I always anticipated our next encounter, whether by chance or by design. It was wonderful to be wrapped in her stories, her magic, her humour, her hugs, her unconditional love and acceptance of everyone.

Like a good book, written by a true master, Fern was the real deal, emanating genuine warmth and compassion.

Like a book that you may borrow from a friend or from the library, she was never really mine to keep. But for a time, she did belong to me, to all of us;  indeed, we all wanted to get lost in her stories, her style, her voice, her turn of phrase. “Just saying.”

For a while, she taught us by true example: how to behave, how to learn, how to persevere, how to do, how to relish life, how to speak, how to give, how to laugh, how to hug, how to love. And the list could go on.

In short, Fern demonstrated by her life how to interact with the world.

So, of course, we feel the void! Our time with her had an enormous impact on us. Her stories are part of us, and memories of them tug at us. Memories of her tug at our heart-strings. Daily.

We keep her alive by asking, “What would Fern do? What would Fern say? Is this Fern-approved?”

And so her lessons continue long after the book is closed, long after we’ve read the last chapter, the last page, the last sentence and the last word.

Thank you, Fern for such a great read!