Catherine Waltrip-Lesch

My uncle Gary has always been a kindler. He sees people keenly, recognizes what moves them, and then feeds that motivation.
When I was a teenager, he drove me to parts of Houston I’d never seen before, showed me buildings that looked uninhabitable, windows billowing plastic, facades crumbling, torn roofs sagging incongruously against a bright blue sky. “People live in there,” he said solemnly.

Once he sparked the flame, he added fuel in the form of solutions. He set me up with opportunities to volunteer. He invited me to events, gave me lists of things to give, organized ways for me to experience fully the impact of caring about your community. He didn’t just inspire me, he gave me something to do with that light.

The light he sparked still burns, and I remember that sunlit, broken roof when I inspire my kids. I will use this flame to ignite others, passing the torch again and again, so the fire he lit will light the world for generations to come.

Gary, I hope I’ve been able to demonstrate to you how much I love you. You inspire me to be generous, to be joyous, to be kind, to be positive, to be strong. You inspire me to say yes to life, to be dutiful and loyal, to embrace what I love.

Which is to say: you inspire me to be like you.

Forever (and ever),

Catherine