Earlier this week, I visited my Aunt Mary.  At 86 years old, she is the only one of my mom’s nine siblings who is still alive.  So, other than my own siblings, she is my only living connection to my mom. As we sat talking for two and a half hours, we got around to how we both overcame difficult childhoods.  She would be the only one in her family to graduate from high school – and yes, I said high school. In addition to graduating from high school, she would meet an amazing man, Thomas, who would become her husband and partner.  They would build an amazing life together,…

Today as I took a walk with Emmy, I thought about my mom.  She was born on February 4th, 1943. The 7th of 10 children, she would drop out of school without finishing the eighth grade. Only one of her siblings would finish high school – my aunt Mary, who is also the only one still alive.  Mom passed away on November 19th, 2012, from lung cancer at the age of 69.  She was a lifetime smoker. Today would be her birthday.  And I did something unusual on my walk today.  Being in a reflective mood, I decided to listen to one of my playlists.  I usually prefer to play…

This is my second attempt at this letter. The first draft I took down because it lost its point. This is why I should never publish first drafts of anything I write. Dear James and Liza Jean, Yesterday your dad called and put the two of you on video.  You were both dancing and bouncing up and down on the couch while wearing dancing outfits that included tutus. You were both so full of joy.  I am so grateful that your mom and dad encouraged this and invited your Gizzi and me to be a part of it.  For some reason, it seems more fun when you do this with…