When I think of Angela, I always remember her smiling. She was always smiling. She was always affectionate. She was always cheerful. She was always willing to help when you needed it. I knew her when I was a senior teen going through some of my most tough and depressing years. Whenever I’d meet her in passing, without fail I was a recipient of one of her hugs. She'd smile and ask me how I was doing. Then she'd tell me she loved me. When my birthday came around, she was the one who got the Home together to celebrate, baked the cakes, and made me feel special because she cared. For me, just knowing there was one person in the Home who cared enough to take their time to hug me and talk to me each day made a world of difference for my self-esteem.
She even inspired me in my talents, no matter how small they were. Always encouraging, complimenting, and inspiring. She's the one who noticed my doodlings and referred me to someone who was looking for an artist to illustrate their publication. Through her encouragement and prodding, I took up the challenge, even though it took months to finish it. She believed I could do it, and because of her, I believed I could too. She had so much faith in people, I think she saw the potential in each person she came across, and every day she drew it out of them little by little.
And she always had time for the kids. It didn't matter what she was busy with or in the middle of doing, or on her way out to do, if a child passed by she would stop, smile, and cheerily greet the child, stoop down to their level, engage in a little conversation with them, and for that full moment that child had her full attention. She loved children, and you could see it in her interactions with them, the lengths she'd go to do things for them, to sacrifice her time to be with them, to make a special snack for them.
She just had such a great love for people. She had so many friends. People who only met her once talked of her as if they knew her for a lifetime. She gave all her love to each person she knew, making you feel special because she loved you. I love you, Angela. You’ve made your mark on my life.