Thursday, October 29, 2020
First time I met Marilyn I was sharing a house with David in Portland. When his parents arrived with a cargo of food I was late for an appointment and headed out the door. After introductions Cliff mentioned something about bringing in the rest of the food. With a wave of her hand in my direction Marilyn said, 'oh Cliff you don't have do that, the boys will take care of it!'. And I knew I had a few things to do before I could leave.
I found her not so much a force to be reckoned with but one to marvel at. She seemed to be full of energy to be extended and assumed everybody else was as well, they just needed a bit of direction, and she could help with that.
I was impressed with how she was able to speak what was on her mind. When we met she was right to the point, 'how are you doing, why aren't you married...'. I never felt like she was meddling, just that she cared about me and saw no reason to hold back. This always warmed my heart.
It was readily evident that my friendship with Jeff and David made me a part of the family and their door was always open to me. Cliff and Marilyn have been a solid example of what hospitality means and how to be an encouragement to others.