Outskirts Press, INC.

An Idyllic Life

This is the story of an indomitable joie de vivre, a love of the world and the people in it; the ability of a beautiful young woman to make all with whom she connected feel good about themselves. There are some who would say that Michelle did not have an idyllic life—that her last 14 years with a rare form of cancer, thymoma, limited her ability to live a full life. But those are people who didn’t really know her. Our daughter lived life on a grand scale through the people she met, the choices she made, the career she selected, the experiences she created for herself and others, and the love—the very large love that she shared with all she met—and the love that they returned. As the tin man in “The Wizard of Oz” stated so clearly, “…a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” The song “Seasons of Love” from the musical “Rent” captured the idea of time with these lyrics: “525,600 minutes, 525,600 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes—how do you measure, measure a year?” Michelle got more out of life, and gave more to life in 44 years than most people do in 90 years; more smiles, more compassion, more laughter … ah, the laughter. It seemed to be Michelle’s mission in life to lift spirits, to comfort hearts, and above all, to inspire laughter. She reflected joy from the beginning of life, and all the people she encountered walked on with smiles on their faces.