M is for Margot Stern.

Yesterday morning I went through the huge pile of mail and saw a hand addressed envelope. It is so unusual these days that I opened it on the spot, parked facing the wrong way on our street at the mailbox. The return address was from someone whose name sounded familiar. I wondered if it was Margot's daughter, who I have never met. It was.

I opened the envelope and read that my friend Margot Stern had passed away on the 13th, she was 101 1/2 years old. Margot had been a close friend of my grandmother Stella, Oma Stella. The letter I received was from Margot's daughter and said, "She ran it out as long as she could but it was time!" I suppose anytime over 100 is "time", of course every time is "time." I am still very sad that I will not be able to visit her in San Mateo when I visit the Bay Area. I will truly miss her.

As a child I remember Margot was very beautiful, well tailored, elegant and thoughtfully generous. Even recently she colored her hair a youthful red! At every party at Oma Stella's house she would bring me a little thoughtful gift. My cousin, as a child lived across the street from her, remembers she used to give him See's candy when he visited. When I asked her about her life she told me about leaving Europe in the nick of time at the start of WWII, living in Cuba and settling in San Francisco. She experienced a lot in 101.5 years.

And after my grandmother died Margot welcomed me, then my husband and my children. She was amazed that I have five children. My daughter Stella and Margot had a nice friendship too. Stella usually went with me when I visited.

Our daughter Margo is named after her, no T, we live in the US. I enjoy saying "Stella and Margo" together, still and again.