SOME OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES OF MOM:

The way she used to sing us “Oh What a Beautiful Morning” from the musical Oklahoma! to wake us for school in the morning.

The way Mom looked in a mini-skirt and gogo boots. My classmates always talked about how pretty she was when she came into the classroom with cookies or cupcakes to share for my birthday or something.

Spending long relaxing afternoons at Folsom Lake in California, (during which Mom also taught me first to float on water and then to swim).

Watching Mom play pool at her friends Joe & Dodie’s bar while we kids ate pizza or burgers. She was really good at pool. She even won a tournament or two. (And Joe just happened to make great pizza.)

The simple meals she made us for dinner. Foods like her spaghetti and meatballs, pot roast, chicken croquettes, and meatloaf became my favorites.

The time she took me shopping for my very first pair of L’eggs pantyhose in preparation for a school dance when I was in (I think) 6th grade.

Going out with Mom for walks or a nice brunch or lunch whenever I would visit Las Vegas as an adult. 

My mom was a private person who appreciated simple things and faced difficult moments throughout her life. She became a wife and a mother when she was still a kid herself—married at 15, with four children by 21. Her early years were shaped by responsibility long before she had the chance to be young.

She later built a steady, loyal life with her husband, Scott. They shared 44 years together, and their marriage became the heart of her world.

My relationship with my mom changed over the years, and I’ve learned to hold it with acceptance and understanding. In her final days, she reflected on her life and her role as a mother, and those moments brought me a quiet sense of peace.

I’m thankful we were able to spend several days together as a family here in Florida for her 80th birthday. She had time with her children and grandchildren, and she was able to meet her great‑grandchildren—moments I will always hold close.

In February, our family will gather here in Florida to remember her and celebrate her life together.