If you had to describe your mother what would you say ?

She was very outgoing and warm, someone who could walk onto a stage, face an auditorium of people, tell an off the cuff joke—and have the whole room rolling. She was incredibly kind, and many didn’t know just how kind, because she did things quietly; never spoke about it.

I had a friend who did my hair in the 80s, and I referred him to Mom, and she began going to him. Sometimes we went together, other times separately.

After I was widowed, I moved out of the area and lost touch.
What he didn’t confide was that he’d become HIV positive and was dying. He came out to his family, who promptly disowned him. My mother visited him in hospice and ran errands for him. She got permission from him to let me know, and we were with him when he passed away.

I played the piano because she did, and our favorite thing was to play duets, and arrangements for two pianos (there was a baby grand in the living room, and we’d roll the upright in from the family room).

I inherited more of her features than the other kids: her dark, dark (nearsighted) eyes, her laugh, and a quieter version of her warm speaking voice. I’ll miss her forever. 🥹