Bob (Cont'd)

And another thing: Mom’s influence on other people, from any and all backgrounds, was unfailingly remarkable.

I remember Hafsa, over and over, telling me how much she loved my Mom. The two of them really hit it off. Apart, they'd go off on trips and bring back gifts for each other. Hafsa wanted me to be more like Mom. She once asked me if I was adopted. I denied it, but I understood the point.

In the Big Brothers program, my Little Brother, David, took about three months to warm up to me. The first time he met Mom, he hugged her, and you should’ve seen the look in his eyes. I never saw that glow before or after from him. His mom, Alicia, told me, “He REALLY likes your mom.”

I told her, “That happens to a lot of people.”