On the day before her 94th birthday in February 2017, my grandmother, my champion, passed away. As I said at her memorial service, I had been able to feel special because she made me feel special. My grandmother would not question my working hard; rather, she would ask, \u201cDo they\u201d\u2014meaning the leaders wherever I was working at the time\u2014\u201cknow how lucky they are to have you?\u201d When my answer was \u201cI am not sure,\u201d she would offer to call to let them know. My grandmother not only accepted me, she encouraged me. As she got to know Carolyn and our relationship, instead of fearing a future that would be different from hers, she kindly and continuously nudged me to commit. After years together, Carolyn and I married in one of the last months of my grandmother\u2019s strong health.<\/p>\n