Mary (from Susan M. O’Brien)

I first met Mary when I moved to EDH and began working in the field of family law. She was kind to a the new lawyer on the block and generous in offering help and advice. But mostly she was fun. Mary was part of a small group of women family law attorneys who met monthly for dinner. It was a time to unwind, tell our own war stories, and laugh, which we did a lot. I'll never forget the time we were at a small restaurant in Coloma. There was only one other group there at the time, a couple, who we discovered were celebrating their engagement. We all laughed at the irony that they were sharing this special occasion in the presence of a bunch of divorce lawyers. The young couple, however, looked somewhat aghast. Mary was the first to speak, "Oh, don't worry!" she said. "That's just our profession. I've been happily married for over 30 years," prompting the rest of us to chime in about the length of our relationships. Then we raised a toast to the couple, who visibly relaxed and enjoyed our congratulations. It was a memorable dinner, heart-warming and as usual, hilarious.