In a meandering way, through finding The Myth of Freedom in a small chain bookstore in central Maine, going to a weekend program at KCL where i meet another person from Maine, i learned of the Dharma Study Group (as i recall its name at that time, 1990) in Brunswick, ME, and began the hour drives to and from there 2, 3 and sometimes more each week. This is where I met Kidder who was my MI for the next 12(ish) years until he retired from Bowdoin and left Maine. Reflecting on those years, i am continually amazed at the fortune of having him as an MI. His kindness, wisdom, openness, clarity and one pointed attention as an MI was invaluable and yet, he was also playful/spirited and the last time i saw him was at an event where there was dancing before a dharma talk. In the past few days, in talking to friends who also had him as their MI, they remember his impact as being life changing for them. Recently, in a couple of Zoom classes I had been remembering him and his answer to a question i had about one line in the Supplication to the Takpo Kagyu, and on Sept. 29-30-Oct 1 he had especially come to mind and i was remembering this one question regarding the line asking for blessings that my: ..."meditation be free from conception"....did this mean NO thoughts? I asked and he replied no, just that you are not caught up/distracted by them (my paraphrase).....such a seemingly small detail and yet, a valuable one, and it has stayed with me above all others for all these years.......so: Thank you Kidder for all that you gave to so many of us...so. much. love for you....from so many of us.