Norma Shapiro Reichline
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It was six months since we first arrived, everything felt different from
life in LA. Norma was a second year school teacher, 24 years old.
She dreamed of a fulfilling life and the sky was now the limit.
Neil
Norma flies to the amusement of all the kids
Norma at 26
Norma and Larry, July '72
Norma and I lived apart for a while in 1972. She fell in love with Larry Falk, stayed with Larry in the small
cabin, and got pregnant in the process. I still loved Norma, yearned for her in fact. And she told me that she
she loved me, she just couldn't decide. I remember often seeing them together, focused solely on each other,
in that great love trance. It was a time of experimentation for us all and Norma deserved her fair share of
that. When she discovered that she was pregnant she came to me and asked me if I would help raise Larry's
kid if she came back to me. I said of course I would, and I meant it totally. A lifetime later as she lay in intensive
care in what turned out to be the last weeks of her life, Norma told me that this was the moment she knew I was
the right one for her. Norma did come back to me, but had a miscarriage and lost the baby. We all went
on, more experienced, wiser. After the Struggle Years we made sure to see Larry and Maggie Falk often. Larry,
now a surgeon, was the first person I called when we discovered Norma's diagnosis. He remains one of my
closest and dearest friends. Neil
Soaking
The window, 1973
She was a little embarrassed because she didn't have time to do the center flower well, but
she hung it and it stayed in our window for a long time. Neil
Enjoying a greeting card from friends, March '77
Stylin'
Eli in there, 1977
Norma's nursing bod, 1978
photos by Neil
OUR FAMILY AT THE 1986 REUNION
photographer unknown
NORMA WISDOM
Norma gifted me with her unique understanding of patience and time in many ways over the years, here are two examples.
RobynClare
NORMAISM ONE:One morning I walked to Struggle to talk with Norma about the troubles Kim and I were having. I was complaining about how long it had been going on, when Norma asked, "How long is long?" " Atleast 6 or 7 days," I whined, to which Norma lovingly replied, " Had you said 6 or 7 years I could agree that it has been a long time, but six days is nothing in a life."
NORMAISM TWO: Norma was on the edge of going into labor with Eli the entire time Sierra was in the hospital. Late one afternoon in waiting room at Stanford we sharews our mutual fear that if she gave birth while Sierra was still in a coma, Eli might somehow replace Sierra in the cosmic soup. Looking in Norma's eyes I could see that it was only Norma's will that was keeping Eli in the womb. She had the look of a woman already in labor and I suggested that she go home and have her baby. She looked at me and said, "No, nature can be patient with me, I'll wait." and she did exactly that.
Norma Shapiro Reichline
NORMA in Bill and Winter's unfinished treehouse, August '71
It was six months since we first arrived, everything felt different from
life in LA. Norma was a second year school teacher, 24 years old.
She dreamed of a fulfilling life and the sky was now the limit.
Neil
Norma flies to the amusement of all the kids
Norma at 26
Norma and Larry, July '72
Norma and I lived apart for a while in 1972. She fell in love with Larry Falk, stayed with Larry in the small
cabin, and got pregnant in the process. I still loved Norma, yearned for her in fact. And she told me that she
she loved me, she just couldn't decide. I remember often seeing them together, focused solely on each other,
in that great love trance. It was a time of experimentation for us all and Norma deserved her fair share of
that. When she discovered that she was pregnant she came to me and asked me if I would help raise Larry's
kid if she came back to me. I said of course I would, and I meant it totally. A lifetime later as she lay in intensive
care in what turned out to be the last weeks of her life, Norma told me that this was the moment she knew I was
the right one for her. Norma did come back to me, but had a miscarriage and lost the baby. We all went
on, more experienced, wiser. After the Struggle Years we made sure to see Larry and Maggie Falk often. Larry,
now a surgeon, was the first person I called when we discovered Norma's diagnosis. He remains one of my
closest and dearest friends. Neil
Soaking
The window, 1973
She was a little embarrassed because she didn't have time to do the center flower well, but
she hung it and it stayed in our window for a long time. Neil
Enjoying a greeting card from friends, March '77
Stylin'
Eli in there, 1977
Norma's nursing bod, 1978
photos by Neil
OUR FAMILY AT THE 1986 REUNION
photographer unknown
NORMA WISDOM
Norma gifted me with her unique understanding of patience and time in many ways over the years, here are two examples.
RobynClare
NORMAISM ONE:One morning I walked to Struggle to talk with Norma about the troubles Kim and I were having. I was complaining about how long it had been going on, when Norma asked, "How long is long?" " Atleast 6 or 7 days," I whined, to which Norma lovingly replied, " Had you said 6 or 7 years I could agree that it has been a long time, but six days is nothing in a life."
NORMAISM TWO: Norma was on the edge of going into labor with Eli the entire time Sierra was in the hospital. Late one afternoon in waiting room at Stanford we sharews our mutual fear that if she gave birth while Sierra was still in a coma, Eli might somehow replace Sierra in the cosmic soup. Looking in Norma's eyes I could see that it was only Norma's will that was keeping Eli in the womb. She had the look of a woman already in labor and I suggested that she go home and have her baby. She looked at me and said, "No, nature can be patient with me, I'll wait." and she did exactly that.