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When one grows up surrounded by relatives speaking their native (non-English) language, the tendency is to pick up at least a few words and phrases that become a part of one's own vocabulary. In the case of my husband and me, that language is Swiss.

Don't bother trying to tell me there is no Swiss language because having come from a long, long line of Swiss-speaking relatives, that simply won't fly. It is not German. It is Swiss.

Nancy Badertscher would be the first to say that she lived a full life. What she wouldn't say was how painful that life was. She chose instead to live with a smile on her face and a lilt in her friendly greeting.

Diagnosed at a young age with a rare disease, Nancy wasn't expected to live much beyond her teens, let alone into her 40s. Once in an interview, she reflected on that time in her life. What I remember is that she and her family didn't let that stop them from hoping and holding on to a faith that only strengthened as Nancy continued to defie the odds.