Annie

It has always been difficult for me to write about people who have passed on. For sure they left this dreary place in which we exist and more often just survive. So, I will try to give you some of my thoughts and feelings remembering Annie.

I did know Annie for over fifteen years. She was like a blooming flower within an environment that provided just the barebones of living and surviving. She faced the challenge of mental health problems and the resulting difficulties but maintained a positive outlook on life. Annie faced her challenges and came out on top.

She was, and I'm using the new term, recovered. I often had very short but very interesting conversations with her and whenever we met Annie displayed a genuine smile. She was a very cheerful person.

She was a very responsible person as well, as I often observed whenever the building's fire alarms went off and she followed the evacuation procedures to a letter. Annie would not walk into the building until another responsible resident, a fire man or support staff, told her that it was safe to go back in.

Annie overcame many a challenge and difficulty in maintaining her independence. I remember when she was recommitted to the hospital to try out a new medication, even though in her own way she was functioning very well without the added stress of being used as a guinea pig. With the support and intervention of staff and other residents, the hospital stay was kept short and no new medication was given.

My own circles are widely spread and I often was surprised to run into Annie in another part of town. She was connected to many agencies and programs in the city. Contributing her most valuable asset, her smile, and her favorite saying: “I can only do so much!” If every reader takes this little line to heart and makes it count in their own life, we all together can do so much more. I do remember Annie and I always will.