They say the middle child causes the mother the most grief. I’m not sure that’s true, but I know my mom struggled with me through a lot. We struggled together, for each other and over each other. As I got older, we became best friends, equals, and mirrors of each other. The struggle, for my […]
My mother was a fierce one. She created a cohesive safety and unity not only for her biological kids, but also for those she adopted and protected along the way. Where she saw a need in any of the kids in her vicinity, she made sure they were taken care of. She stepped in for […]
When my mom was 19, she had her first baby girl. She used to talk about the days after Hilary was born. There had been a big ice storm that kept family from visiting my mom and Hilary in the hospital, for the first several days of Hilary’s life, it was just the two of […]
The manner of my mother’s passing is no big secret. Photos of the accident were plastered insensitively on local news sites. A local motorcycle hobbyist group called Reckless Lifestyle put on a fundraiser for her funeral expenses at the Harley Davidson dealership. We had her motorcycle jacket, helmet, and gloves on display at her memorial […]
One of the best things about Claire was her raucous sense of humor. Anyone who had the joy of being very close to her knew how much hysterical laughter was involved. We’re talking gut-busting, face-hurting, tears streaming down your face kind of laughter. Giggles in the grocery store. Cackling in the kitchen. Screaming laughter at the […]
Admittedly, this post has been the hardest to draft. My mom’s relationship with our youngest brother, Daniel, had so much tenderness. It breaks my heart that my 9 year old brother doesn’t have his mommy anymore. I feel a deep sense of duty in carrying forward the love she had for him, through my own […]
My mom was the second of six kids. She cherished the role of sister to her siblings, and she had a deep sense of devotion to all of her siblings through their life traumas and trials. She also knew loss as a sister. When she was in middle school, she lost her little brother, Mikey, […]
My mom and her father shared a very special relationship. The image that comes to mind is them both gleefully riding their motorcycles together, when he bought her a little Indian at the age of three. He showed her what adventure meant! He taught her not to be afraid. They rode together, they flew airplanes […]
It’s crazy for me to see these photos of my grandma and mom together. A few things stand out to me. First, I see so much resemblance between my grandma and my older sister, Hilary, at a similar age. I also see so much resemblance between my mom as a baby and my little sister […]
In 1997, my mom had her third daughter, Rennen. My mom never liked being in front of the camera much, but she always had a lot to do with making sure each of her kids had milestones and stages of growth documented. For years, Rennen thought we didn’t have very many baby photos of her […]
