Tuesday, February 25, 2020
My heart is with the many family members, friends, colleagues, and students who have been shaped by Prof. Vicki's life. I have rewritten this message so many times, but cannot seem to capture exactly what I mean to say.
I shared so much laughter, so many conversations, and so many "grump sessions" with Momma Vicki that they are uncountable. She was more than a mentor; she was a friend and a "work mom" who was kind and encouraging and unafraid to offer tough love when needed (and lordy, how I sometimes needed it). She got me through some of the most difficult years of my life. Her love and encouragement kept me moving forward and kept me from giving up on my goals when everything seemed to be stacked against me. But, this is not about me. It is about her power to affect so many parts of people's lives, and it is about the way she will continue to live on in us.
So many people have found a source of inspiration in her. Her guidance, her mentorship, her kindness came from a deep well of love for others. It came from an understanding that we are all human and flawed, but that we should always try our best and keep our sights fixed on others. What can we do for them? How can we be a force for good in the world? What can we give today?
Many people will undoubtedly mention her high work-ethic when speaking of her. She brought passion and drive to all parts of her life. There was nothing she could not do, and most of what she did was for others. She had a servant heart. Some of the remarkable things she did to assist others were done completely on the sly with no hope or need for recognition. She stepped in and did what needed to be done, always. Her devotion to others is inspirational. And nowhere is that devotion more evident than in her love for her family, her religious community, her poetry community, her tennis community, and her USCA community. She has touched so many lives.
Because I was part of her university and creative writing community, I feel like I know best that aspect of her life. It was a huge part of who she is. She taught at USCA for 30 years. I estimate over 7,500 students, and that number does not factor in those uncountable numbers of students she taught in clubs, organizations, the Writing Center, Lifelong Learning, or outside of the university. Although she has taught students many things over the years (including to think for themselves and to look at the world in more complex ways) the greatest thing she's taught students is about the power of their own voices. She taught them how to speak their truths so that they might be better heard. She taught students to join the great conversation that has no end. She was a powerful voice in that conversation, so it is no surprise that one of her published works is about how people are silenced.
Although she is now silent, the words she's gifted us all with, the lessons she's taught, live on in our memories. Her voice remains powerful. She is part of our stories, part of our makeup, and part of the great conversation. I am so grateful to have been in her presence, and I am so grateful to have had her love and friendship. I am grateful for all that she is to so many. And my heart goes out to those who knew her most and longest, her family and closest friends. I know the heartbreak I feel is nothing in comparison to your own. Nothing will heal this loss, but please know that there are so many who share your sorrow and are thinking of you with all of our hearts. You are loved as she is loved, and she was absolutely, completely, unendingly loved.
