A Voyage of Discovery: Betsy and Bubba on the Road

May 5, 2006
I received the very sad news Thursday from Newport of the death of Emily Roberts. For ten years, Emily was my children’s stepmother. She was their friend, advocate, and cheerleader. She rarely missed a school event, or any opportunity to celebrate their successes. She often came to me with her perceptions of what they needed, what would help them, what would help me to help them to succeed. I was not always gracious about accepting her thoughts, but she loved them so much that she came to me even when I was prickly about receiving her input. She was always there for them, and whether I was gracious about it or not at any given moment, I thought my children were fortunate to have her love and caring.

Emily often seemed fragile to me, but, when she came twice to visit me at Overlook Farm, once when Sarah was there, I thought she had found peace and was embarking on a course that excited her passions. She was thrilled with the opportunities she had to teach, and to train teachers, in a small community in Belize that she had come to know and love. She asked me in detail about what I had learned about sustainable development at Heifer International, and left with materials she wanted to apply to her time in Belize. Before her trip to Belize, she went to see Benjamin at Middlebury, and went to a play with him, one for which he had been building the set. She sent me a long and enthusiastic e-mail about what she’d seen of his life in Vermont, and how happy and successful he seemed to be there. She was so pleased that Sarah was excited about her research opportunities for this summer, and looking forward to hearing about the outcome. And she was delighting in my adventure, looking forward to reading and hearing more about it.

I believe that my children and I were fortunate to have Emily’s voice and presence in our lives. We will all grieve her loss.