June learned to walk by pushing a laundry basket across the kitchen.

She developed a fierce attachment to a stuffed rabbit named Admiral.

She hated bananas, adored blueberries, and treated puddles as opportunities rather than obstacles.

I grew my consulting practice into a small firm helping hospitals and community organizations improve their operations.

The irony was not lost on me.

I had left a surgeon who believed my life revolved around his work and eventually built a career helping people understand the human costs of institutional decisions.

We were not poor.