I was saddened to learn of the news of Norma McCaig's passing. If it had not been for Norma and her work with Global Nomads, it's highly possible that I would not know of our unique culture. I became a member of Global Nomads in the mid-90s and received a packet of eye-opening information with my membership. Everything made much more sense after that and I am so grateful for her work and sense of mission. She made a huge difference in my life and her legacy is immense. Rest in peace, Norma McCaig.

Norma was a beautiful lady. I met her at an FIGT conference where she encouraged me to speak on/to TCKs and my own experiences as a TCK. She was an encourager. I last saw her at the 2008 FIGT conference when she came up to my room for a small gathering of friends. She was so pleased in seeing some of the results of her hard work with Global Nomads and was wishing her recently departed Mother could have also been there to share the celebration. Now she is sharing with her Mother all about that celebration, her new friends, and how what she began years ago is multiplying over and over. I will miss this quiet cheerleader for those of us who are Global Nomads. A powerful little lady!

We at Interaction International mourn the death of Norma McCaig. The ties between Norma and Dave Pollock (founder of Interaction International) were significant as they shared a vision for the needs of third-culture kids (TCKs). They both were passionate advocates on behalf of TCKs who were committed to their care and well-being. Norma, like Dave, was a person whose life touched the lives of many TCKs around the world. She not only understood who they are and their needs, but also provided practical help and encouragement to many. She established Global Nomads to bridge and work across lines with all members of the TCK community (whether they were part of the business, military, diplomatic or missions community).



In presenting the TCK definition in seminars, Dave often told the story of one of the first Global Nomads meetings in Wash-ington D.C. When he would talk about the connection TCKs have with others of similar experience, he would tell the story of that meeting. It started at 6 or 7 pm and was scheduled to last until 10 pm or so. At 11 or 11:30 pm, the hotel kicked the group out of the meeting room they had reserved. Not wanting to say goodbye, the group moved to the parking lot and continued talking in there for several more hours. Finally, about 1:30 or 2 am the gathering broke up. No one who saw the group could believe that they had just met for the first time and were sure it had to be a school reunion or family gathering. In one sense they were right. It was a family gathering of the TCK family that stretches worldwide.



Because Norma understood TCKs, she could give voice to their experience. She enriched the literature and added important phrases to the conversation of the TCK community including terms such as global nomad, cultural chameleon, the hidden immigrant, and many others



I'm thankful that at the last Families in Global Transition (FIGT) conference in March 2008, Norma was recognized and honored (along with Dave Pollock) for her significant contribution to the lives of TCKs, to the TCK community worldwide and for the creation of Global Nomads. We at Interaction International are thankful for Norma's life, her courage, compassion, passion, and advocacy on behalf of TCKs. We mourn Norma's death and are thankful for the many ways in which she touched and enriched the lives of TCKs around the world."

from Janet Blomberg—Executive Director of Interaction International

Thank you Ruth for your very memorable words about Norma McCaig.

Norma's sincere warmth in welcoming me into the Global Nomad community was an incredible gift and spur for me to complete oral interviews and get my own small contribution to the literature into book form. She willingly suggested I use her term "Hidden Immigrants" for the title and hoped as I did that it would be published under that name.

It was such a privilage to work with her on the Global Nomads board and to see her for many years beyond when she would occasionally visit Fort Collins, Colorado, where I now live.

Norma's legacy to this community can not be underestimated. For many years she was the community, working tirelessly and sincerely to help countless individuals as well as groups recognize their unique culture as valid.

Linda Bell

I've never gotten to know her but I'm sure she was an amazing person. May she rest in peace.

I love Ruth's spot-on description of beautiful Norma, especially about her being a "red headed tiny marvel." When I first joined the Families in Global Transition community, Norma listened to my ideas about Third Culture Adults (TCA), and how I felt my life and identity had changed as an adult through my nomadic experiences. She challenged and affirmed my thinking and encouraged me to expand it. I thank for helping to shape my thinking. My life has been forever blessed for having had the privilege of knowing her.

She will be missed.

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Norma, and yet I feel a deep sense of loss. It's just the way it is between TCKs, to feel that instant kinship with others like you. Her work and her vision will all the more inspire me in my own expressions of life as a global nomad. My prayers go out to her family.

I am sitting here stunned...last time I talked with Norma, she seemed a little tired, but at the same time, rather upbeat! I had no idea, no indication that the cancer would take her from us!

Ruth, thank you for putting into words thoughts I am not able to say. Norma was a vibrant, lively, fun-loving, fiery red-headed advocate for TCKs. She knew how to listen, advice, challenge and love everyone of us!

I will miss our phone calls and her laughter.

I'm sorry to hear about this - may she rest in peace.

An important message from Ruth Van Reken to all TCKs:

"Norma McCaig not only changed our world, she changed my life. I first met her in 1987 when she dared to cross sector lines and attend a conference about missionary kids, even though she had been raised as a business kid, because she intuitively believed there was much we could all learn from one another if we dared to move from our boxes and towards each other.

We sat and talked until the wee hours of that morning. She shared her dream for Global Nomads, an organization that would be for adults who had grown up in any internationally mobile background. Norma borrowed against her own retirement account to make that conference happen in December, 1988...the first time adult TCKs gathered together to explore mutually our convergent journeys.

We had many discussions about who was and wasn't a TCK. Norma felt if we enlarged the original group that Ruth Useem studied, all research would lose it's meaning. In one of our discussions, I showed her my "throw away" term I had used to try to get more meaningful discussion going with local teachers who didn't seem to think TCK issues were relevant to them but lauded their "multicultural" program. When Norma looked at my slides, she is the one who said, "Use that, Ruth, to make a bigger paradigm..." and thus the framework of Cross-Cultural Kid was born.

THis was Norma's gift to us all..to coin phrases that came from her creative mind that capture the heart of our story..for TCK and all CCKs alike..."hidden immigrant," "cultural chameleon," "passport culture," "global nomad," and on and on she went.

Sadly, many of today's TCKs and CCKs never had a chance to get to know this red headed tiny marvel....she packed so much energy and joy and brilliance into her little frame. Since she was first diagnosed with bone cancer several years ago, she has not been front and center on the external scene as she was in earlier days. But for those of us who continued to know her in the quieterness of her battle with cancer and watched her unbelievable strength, courage and hope throughout these last years, our lives were blessed once more by Norma. And she never, ever forgot her passion and love for those she called "Global Nomads" because she preferred not to be called a "kid"!

Yes, iron sharpens iron and Norma sharpened my thinking and outlook. Her vision for cross-sector communication among ATCKs was a foundation stone for the cross-sector aspects of the Families in Global Transition conference still going on. And for the interchange of us all on TCKid.com.

Now, with three major pioneers of this field gone...Ruth Hill Useem, Dave Pollock, and Norma J McCaig...the greatest honor for them all is that each of you in the 'next generation" build on their gift to us all and continue to see how to take lessons learned and help find ways to bring new understanding of how our global changes affect children everywhere and of all backgrounds.

Personally, I grieve deeply at the news of Norma's death. But I am also profoundly grateful that I was privileged to know her as a special friend and marvelous mentor and colleague.

Norma is an example for all of us on how one person with a vision, a dream, a heart, and courage can, in fact, change the world.

Norma, dear friend, rest in peace. We, the members of your extended family worldwide, thank you for all your gifts to us.

Ruth Van Reken

I am devastated. What a loss. Norma was the first person to welcome me "home" into the Global Nomad community. She taught me to take joy and pride in my TCK identity, and served as a glittering role model for me, as I struggled to find positive ways to express, and leverage the special heritage that is ours. She will be sorely missed.