Dear Ms. Nixon,

It would be hard to write today without writing about the passing of Agnes Nixon, the creator of One Life to Live, All My Children, and Loving, and a creative force in the soap opera genre. I could say that her work enabled me to write my high school senior speech about the social value of soap operas. I could talk about how I began looking at Philadelphia area colleges because I knew that her soap characters, and she, lived in that area. I could reference how so many years of my childhood AND of my professional life were what they were thanks to her (though I never met her personally). But as I comb through my Facebook feed, I see that I am not that different from so many who were touched by Ms. Nixon's contributions and dedication to our field. Not only did her shows employ an enormous number of the people with whom I spent many working hours, her "stories" affected their lives and the lives of fans of all ages all over. I could wax eloquent, but not more eloquent than many of those people. Yet, were it not for what she did, what I did for so many years, and consequently, what I am doing now, would not exist. She helped to make sure, with the stories she told, and with the work that those stories created, that a great many of us would be immersed in soap, but never washed up, and for all of that, I am grateful.

The words of my colleagues--some of her greatest fans--inspire me, and remind me just how lucky I was to be a part of it all. Rest in peace, Agnes Nixon. And wherever you are, keep telling stories.