Will you laugh just like your mother Will you sigh like your old man Will some things skip a generation Like I’ve heard they often can Are you a poet or a dancer A devil or a clown Or a strange new combination of The things we’ve handed down — Marc Cohn, 1993 It has […]
San Gabriel Valley Boy Scouts, Vintage Years
Going through my mother’s cedar chest, we found our old Girl Scout and Boy Scout uniforms. My mother loved being a Girl Scout leader, and of course, she was awesome! Here’s my brother’s San Gabriel Valley Boys Scouts of America cub scout shirt. This was back when we were all, quite literally, Valley Girls. I […]
Fables
In the morning, when I awake, I hear my mother tell me to start my day with prayer. She is here guiding me, seeing me for the first time in true color and light. The reality of my days. All that she missed in the time we spent apart while I worked and plugged along […]
Obituary (Excerpt)
Here is an excerpt from the eulogy I wrote for my mother. Mom died in a place she loved doing what she loved — keeping busy and anticipating celebration of our Lord’s birth. She joined Him on His birthday, and will remain with him throughout eternity. Often throughout her life, she spoke of the two […]
Dear Mom: Pin Cushion
Dear Mom, There were so many things I wanted to tell you while you were still here with me. I know you see it all now, everything I’ve been holding inside and going through for so long. I know you’re helping me from the other side. Thank you. I know you’re proud of Linda, Becky, […]
Mom’s Vintage Brooches
It hurt badly to go through my mom’s things. It took my siblings and I a few hours just to go through her vintage brooches. She loved pretty pins, and we bought her many over the years. The ones we loved best were the ones we recalled her wearing during our childhoods. My brother picked […]
She Sees All The Unseen Things Now
Bridgy hasn’t left my side since my mother died. Her grief comes in gentle waves and salty tears. Dark, tangled strands of hair stick to her wet, pale cheeks as I cradle her in my arms by the Christmas tree. “Did she know I loved her,” she asks. “I didn’t tell anyone how sick she was. […]