Even more than Jackie O

Here's the one lady I admire beyond all others: Charlotte A. Cavatica. She was a true friend and a good writer, two lofty goals to which I aspire.

She saw the best in everyone from a runt pig to a sarcastic rat. Her warmth and generosity transformed her in the eyes of her barnmates and she went from being scary and creepy to beautiful. She took her promises seriously and used all her tenacity and imagination to keep the one she made to Wilbur.

My mom read Charlotte's Web to me when I was a little girl. I can still hear her voice saying, "Some pig!" It's one of my dearest memories. And to this day, I have never intentionally killed a spider. If I find one at home, I wrap it in a tissue and carry it downstairs. It's the least I can do in tribute to one of my earliest and most enduring role models.