In 1984, when I was a student at BYU Hawaii, I met a poet from Wales named Leslie Norris. Two years later, when I transferred to the Provo, Utah, campus of BYU, he became my mentor.
Leslie Norris was a kind man, a fine man, a man of infinite patience, which I often tested. He passed away in April 2006, at the age of eighty-four, and I miss him deeply. He left behind a legacy of literature and people who counted themselves fortunate to have known such a great man.
After his passing, I kept in touch with Catherine, his widow. Kitty was strong and kind, and always a fine hostess. She was a woman who spoke her mind when she disagreed with you, but she was always especially gracious. A great person in her own right, Kitty relished the role of being “Leslie’s wife.”
Today, after finishing the notes you have just read, I called Kitty to wish her happy holidays and learned that she passed away.
Life is precious, make sure to spend it with the ones that you love.