By DAVID ODOM
Staff Writer
 

That was Mother Theresa; adored and loved by many across the globe. A woman who taught many about eternity, and unconditional love even when it seemed "dangerous and foolish." Her teachings on the power of humility were inspirational, and this she practiced by near perfect example.

Born as Agnes Gonxlta Bojaxhiu, on the Aug. 26, 1910, in a village in Skopje, Macedonia, she lived to accomplish feats that contemporaries might have thought were impossible. As a young woman she joined the Catholic order of Our Lady of Loreto in 1929, and subsequently heard the call to serve God in India.

In later years she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a world wide religious charity order that she led until March 13, 1997 only to stop when her health had deteriorated.

Her love for society's underprivileged was special. In her missions around the world she served people such as deathrow inmates, AIDS victims, the poor and the homeless, with love and warmth.

On Friday, Sept. 5, when news broke of her death, everyone felt extreme remorse. "There was less love, less compassion and less light that evening," said French President Jacques Chirac. Her legacy will live with us into the next millennium.