Gratitude
One of the most remarkable things about Heather is the gratitude that she felt for a life was fraught with so much difficulty and suffering. She always said that she led a truly amazing life. It was hard for me to understand this at times, when she was barely able to move or speak, at a loss for where to live or how to heal. In part, I think she was referring to the experiences she had when she was less sick--visiting the Amazon or completing Masters in Environmental Studies at Yale. But I was also amazed by her ability to take joy in little moments--an hour of fresh air, a voice message from a friend, a short video of animals playing. I think that these little moments are also what she meant when she said she lived an amazing life, surrounded in virtual space (if not physically) by people who loved her.