Dearest friends of
A and A and Mysteries,
First, a word of thanks for the prayers and support you have all given to Sara
(Saucy) during her long and valiant battle with cancer. I want to offer some
personal memories of my relationship with a very special stepdaughter. As I
reminded her only a few days ago, I had been her “wicked stepmother”, as we both
laughingly referred to me, for more than half her life.
Most of you know her lifelong challenges; primarily childhood diabetes which
caused her blindness and then the last 8 years of cancer. Even though I loved
her as a daughter, we developed more of a sisterly relationship, spending many
hours talking about things reserved for the intimacy of close friends. Blessed
to be her confidant, she shared with me her adamant dislikes and passionate
desires. Hardly a shrinking violet, Saucy was well-informed on many subjects and
wouldn't hesitate to voice an opinion.
But let's look at the sunshine she spread so abundantly. We practiced shopping
and window-shopping with such fervor that her Dad credits us with “pro” status.
She had an uncanny ability to visualize accurately any outfit we came across and
could assess its value and appropriateness for the potential consumer, whether
it be one of the two of us or one of our friends. How she could do this amazed
all of us close to her and we discussed it just recently as we reminisced at her
bedside.
Years ago, when Saucy lived in Dallas at the same time as Alex and I, we had a
Tuesday ritual of paying a visit to our favorite high end store, Sakowitz. My
treat to her at the in-store bistro was a glass of champagne and a chocolate
truffle. Pretending happily to have deep pockets and infinitely good taste, we
languished at our table as if there were nothing more important to do all day.
Then on our feet again to browse the designer aisles.
On my two treasured visits in October/November of 2004 and 2005, Sara's energy
levels had diminished somewhat due to ongoing chemotherapy, but on good days we
still managed some power window-shopping and even found a delicious jewelry
sale. We bought outfits alike at a place that sold real Florida resort wear. I
can still see the grimace on her face when my feet were giving out and I settled
on a flat pair of sandals that she called “old lady shoes”. A fashionista, she
was, and not in a pretentious way. She just had innate good taste. I think it
must have been that very day when we opted for an outing at the beach. Not
knowing the area very well myself and liquor store locations not being her
bailiwick, we finally found one in a rather questionable area, where I timidly
purchased a reasonably priced bottle of champagne. It was approaching midnight
as we stood in the warm surf, letting the water slosh our rolled up pant legs,
sipping out of paper cups and daydreaming aloud of good things to come. These
moments are forever in my heart.
If you are inclined to celebrate her life by donating to one of the devoted
agencies providing services to Sara and her family, here are two to which we are
indebted:
(Please do so in memory of Sara L. Grace, 10/27/60-2/10/07)
Treasure Coast Hospices
1000 SE Ruhnke Street
Stuart, FL 34994
ATTN: Kathryn Moon, Dir. Of Clinical Services
Molly's House
430 SE Osceola Street
Stuart, FL 34994
ATTN: Judith Cruz, Executive Director