Hello there, Mr. Baum, Charlie--
I'm writing you here because at about 6:30am my late cousin Susan (Garber) danced down my brain again, as she often has in the nearly 10 years since her death. She was likely the best friend I may ever have, I met you only a couple of times.
I googled her name and 'Sacred Harp' and found your most beautifully written tribute to her that you wrote just 3 days after her death in the year 2000. I know it would have made her cry with happiness and gratitude. She loved you a lot. Many times she would somewhat breathlessly mention 'Charlie' to me and I know that your friendship meant so much to her.
I wish I'd seen your gorgeously heartfelt tribute to her 10 years ago, but I'm just as happy to see it now, when she popped into my head.
She and I spoke every day, and I had spoken with her just 4 hours before I got a phone call from my Dad that she was gone. One of Susan's favorite aunts, Theresa, just passed away last month at the age of 105. How I wish that Susan could have had such longevity.
In your writing of Susan, you most certainly were spot-on about the inseparable 'Dot-Susan' bond. My Aunt Dot outlived Susan by nearly 7 years, she died in June of 2007 and I truly hope that she and Susan are somewhere beautiful together now, chatting happily as they often did, and, once again, your name was one I often recall that they mentioned with great happiness at having such a good friend in you. So, I bet they're still talking about you, and when I read your obituary/tribute, I said outloud 'Oh, Susan, you won't believe what I just read'. Thank You so much, Mr. Baum.
Susan called me 'Kolya' usually, most of the family called or calls me Nick, I first met you when I was about 19 years old at a party Dot and Susan had at their house, I know I was annoyingly vacuous. Sorry. 19 will do that to you. I think I finally outgrew it somewhere around 35. Susan was very dear to me, always, and I thank you again for your most touching, wonderfully written tribute to her.
Best Wishes,
Nikolaj Mikita