I just found out about ita, and I wanted to post how sorry I am for this loss to her family, to her friends, and to this board.
I feel incredibly guilty about missing this sad news 3 months ago, and I keep telling myself that I shouldn't feel guilty, yet it's a big deal that she died, and she was an amazing person, and how did Nilly's email to me just get caught up in a folder unread for so long?
See, I have about six primary email addresses. One is my personal address, one is my work address, one is for a non-profit I'm heavily involved with, one is for a side business I'm trying to get off the ground, one is a grad student address for courses I was taking until recently, and finally, I have the wolframlaw email in my profile here which is kind of my creative side's email address, for fandom and writing groups. All my email addresses go directly into different filters folders.
A couple of years ago my creative side slipped. I stopped writing and participating in fandom on almost any level. As a result, I only checked my wolfram folder sporadically. Most recently, 6 months had gone by before I went back in to clean out messages last night. That's when I saw Nilly's email with a link to a January 13th Natter thread.
I spent two hours last night reading natter and then this thread, my eyes tearing up several times, but it just reminded me how amazing you all are, and were for me at a time when I needed you. I am so touched that Nilly included me as part of the Buffistas family (even in absentia). Thank you. And I know that without ita, there wouldn't be a Buffistas family, and I am so grateful to her and hope she's at peace and happy now.
I am also sorry for being a stranger. You all inspire me, and I could use that kind of inspiration in my life. Again, thanks.