Katie Herrmann

here are so many wonderful times that I want to share with all of you, but my fingers would fall off from typing so much. My sister and I have spent almost every Christmas, thanksgiving, and summer with Austin, Aidan, Gregg, and Laurie- ie many many many stories. But one seems to stick out right now, quite vividly. It is a story that illustrated Austin's ability to enjoy anything everything in life. He and I were both in elementary school choirs. One Christmas in Albuquerque I started singing a little known Christmas carol. 10 or 11 year old Austin enthusiastically chimed with his part of the song. He was so happy that I knew the song too, and we went on and on singing that little song for a few hours and discussing the differences of the lyrics at his school as conpared to mine. Just remembering the excitement he felt when we sang that familiar song together as children is enough to make me say "shoot there's nothing that my cousin didn't have some sort of excitement (or opinion for that matter) on." Brilliant chemist, writer, scrabble player, weather fanatic. The list goes on and on. You can all now add connesiuer of second rate children's Christmas carols to the list of all the wonderful things Austin was.

I miss my cousin so very dearly. But remembering him keeps me strong. Thanks to him, I know this formula:
Start something you love, learn as much as you can about it, enjoy what you learn, and share it with the world around you with the same enthusiasm he had. Sounds like the perfect way to live life and I am glad he demonstrated it for me.