And so another day has begun. Ahh, but this day is so different. My love of more than 70 years has passed on, May 26^th to be precise. She suffered for a while from one or more conditions, and her body finally gave up its battle. And Carol Schmidt has now left me, and, more to the point, she has left you. She was loved and respected in so many spheres and by so many people that it is difficult to assure that all who knew her now realize she is no longer with us.

Carol’s life was so embedded with mine that her passing is too difficult for me to describe.  But, however close she was to me, and that was very close, she affected so many people in so many ways.  Her three children, her grandchildren, her great grandchildren all knew her well and respected her love and caring.  Carol was surrounded by love and passed on her love every minute of every day.

But Carol also gave back to our world.  She spent so many hours of each day creating quilts for sick kids at our local Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital, creating over time hundreds of quilts, each one to make a sick child a little happier.

She also worked with our local library, teaching folks who could not read or write English well, to do it all a little better. She was loved for her work.

She was an amazing chef, mainly for me, but also for kids, grand kids, Greats, and good friends. So many people were so happy because of her cooking skills, and the love included.

But I felt our 70+ years together as a precious gift we gave to each other. We traveled the country and the world together. We lived in New York, and California, and India, and Massachusetts and Maryland, before arriving at our final homestead in North Carolina. WE loved our life here and it was reciprocated by all those around us. There are too many tales to tell, but mainly there is the LOVE. We loved each other so much and Carol was so much a part of me. When people now ask, “How are you?” I do not know how to answer. Because my brain is so filled with my now departed loving wife.

My LOVE, I Love you. You are still a large part of my brain. You are loved. I still think of July 2, 1955 as the day my real life began. You may be gone, My Love, But you will never be forgotten.