In Memoriam

My mom, Nicole Erickson, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. My dad, John Erickson Sr., was born in Kansas City, Missouri and was of Swedish and German descent.   My mom’s main interests in life revolved around her children, teaching foreign languages, her dogs, gardening, good food, wine, reading, walking, linguistics, learning new languages, and travel.  I would say that much of my value system, and attitudes about learning and education, I learned from my mother.  In addition to teaching me the value of intellectual pursuits and encouraging my interests, my mother also gave me the self-confidence and mental toughness needed to deal with all of the inevitable obstacles I would have to face.  My dad, on the other hand, seemed to believe that the important things in life revolved around good food, good beer, jazz, dogs, cycling, skiing and movies. I would say that the main lesson I learned from my dad was simply to follow my own path.  It might sound like I am suggesting that my dad wasn't smart but he was actually a national merit scholar who just had  zero interest in academic pursuits.  In addition to a shared love of good food and dogs, my parents were both unconventional, smart, honest, and they both possessed a sharp, sarcastic, and somewhat cynical wit. I would like to think that I take after both of them.