Marlene Linz
Birth Latitude: 41.87 N° The micro loans offered by Changing Latitudes are provided in honor of Marlene Linz – Amy’s oldest and dearest friend, who died in 2016, too young, but with tremendous courage and grace. An artist, potter, exquisite cook, avid gardener, cookie chef extraordinaire, and voracious reader, Marlene remained all of those things while living with cancer for five years. She lived her 51 years with gentle strength and beauty. Marlene refused to be defined by cancer, and instead focused on her true passions, always noting the artistic qualities of the world around her. Beginning in her early twenties, Marlene hoped to one day travel to impoverished nations to help make a difference in the lives of those in need. As an elementary school teacher, Sunday school director and fair-trade coordinator, Marlene touched many young lives at home and abroad. Providing aid to others in communities near and far gave her joy, peace, and the feeling that she had made a little dent in the needs of others. Knowing her fate, Marlene took the opportunity to write down some of her wisdom in a treatise for her family and friends titled, “The Fringe-Benefits of Cancer (Life on the Edge No One Would Ask For).” She firmly believed everyone carries burdens – cancer or otherwise, and reminded us all to “[f]ocus on the wonderful, fulfilling, privileged, and brimming-with-love life you have been given. If you are not feeling that, tune in to a few minutes of NPR or volunteer to help people who live with violence or can’t feed their children…Your life is very, very good and you are very blessed.” Marlene’s husband, Peter, and their three children, Aria, Mica and Jonah, of Katonah, New York, and all those who love her will always remember her words just a couple of weeks before she passed away… “Life is wonderful, if you try.” |
|