Dear Marc,
You have not really left us, at least that’s how unreal this all feels right now-- I hope I continue to feel this way, and I believe I will, because you have always been the rare kind of person that only evokes pleasant associations: I think of your fine character, of lovely conversations about life, work and children in London and Provence, of thoughtful instances of helping each other with kid duties when they were small and life was regulated by school picks challenged by the vagaries of traffic. Always reliable, smart, courteous, but with that twinkle in your eye, with patience and wisdom beyond your years and the infallibly endearing ability to always laugh at my attempts at humour—what’s there not to like? I have always considered you one of the Good Guys, the people that give you faith in the human condition despite newspaper headlines to the contrary. I feel very privileged to have people like you in my constellation of reference people who act on their values and lead by example, implicitly reminding me of how I should treat others instead of throwing my weight around or self-righteously lecturing people, which I’ve been known to do.
I had the great fortune of having met you, Susan and the boys at the very start of Graydon’s schooling—this gave me the opportunity to watch your thoughtful parenting, combined with Susan’s exceptional style—both great listeners: I watched your boys blossom into charming and well-adjusted human beings, surely making you and Susan so proud. Graydon’s close friendship with our son Adrien in those early years, the playdates in Cadogan Square, the shared parenting dilemmas, the holidays with us in France, all those times brought our families closer together around the real stuff of life. And at every turn, you remained amiable, gracious and poised, even when we got caught in our vehicles in a scary flash flood in Vaison.
Thank you for often sharing Susan with me on weekends and evenings, as I have often relied so heavily on her insightful and thoughtful friendship, but also on her invaluable financial and strategic advice for my company. She is beloved by everyone on our team and they are all waiting in the wings to help. She impresses me as an exceptionally intelligent, deep and resourceful person, yet all her skills and courage are being put to the ultimate test right now, so it’s our opportunity to repay you both for your exceptional kindness and friendship by doing whatever we can for you and your family at this impossibly challenging time.
With great affection, appreciation and admiration for you and your family,
Nicole (as well as Xavier and Adrien)
Dear Marc,
You have not really left us, at least that’s how unreal this all feels right now-- I hope I continue to feel this way, and I believe I will, because you have always been the rare kind of person that only evokes pleasant associations: I think of your fine character, of lovely conversations about life, work and children in London and Provence, of thoughtful instances of helping each other with kid duties when they were small and life was regulated by school picks challenged by the vagaries of traffic. Always reliable, smart, courteous, but with that twinkle in your eye, with patience and wisdom beyond your years and the infallibly endearing ability to always laugh at my attempts at humour—what’s there not to like? I have always considered you one of the Good Guys, the people that give you faith in the human condition despite newspaper headlines to the contrary. I feel very privileged to have people like you in my constellation of reference people who act on their values and lead by example, implicitly reminding me of how I should treat others instead of throwing my weight around or self-righteously lecturing people, which I’ve been known to do.
I had the great fortune of having met you, Susan and the boys at the very start of Graydon’s schooling—this gave me the opportunity to watch your thoughtful parenting, combined with Susan’s exceptional style—both great listeners: I watched your boys blossom into charming and well-adjusted human beings, surely making you and Susan so proud. Graydon’s close friendship with our son Adrien in those early years, the playdates in Cadogan Square, the shared parenting dilemmas, the holidays with us in France, all those times brought our families closer together around the real stuff of life. And at every turn, you remained amiable, gracious and poised, even when we got caught in our vehicles in a scary flash flood in Vaison.
Thank you for often sharing Susan with me on weekends and evenings, as I have often relied so heavily on her insightful and thoughtful friendship, but also on her invaluable financial and strategic advice for my company. She is beloved by everyone on our team and they are all waiting in the wings to help. She impresses me as an exceptionally intelligent, deep and resourceful person, yet all her skills and courage are being put to the ultimate test right now, so it’s our opportunity to repay you both for your exceptional kindness and friendship by doing whatever we can for you and your family at this impossibly challenging time.
With great affection, appreciation and admiration for you and your family,
Nicole (as well as Xavier and Adrien)
