I wish I was a poet so I could write an ode to my mom. Rita is, was and ever shall be the inspiration to so much in my life. She was strong, funny, earthy, unbelievably organized, genuine, unabashedly perky, family-centric.......in short, a real powerhouse. As a grown woman I can hardly fathom what it took to raise 10 kids. I am in awe of her ability, her ingenuity... her perserverance. I am also bereft at the thought that we did not get much of a chance to be grown women together. She had faith that could move mountains, she had humor that could disarm the most stoic, she had intelligence to match the Queen of England (whom, she admired, fyi... A real anglophile, my mom)
For an uneducated, unsophisticated girl from Queens, she knew her s***. She is responsible for any love of high culture that I have come by, and I am gratefull to her for it.
Believe it or not, all the above is an opinion I have held of her since I was a small girl (albeit somewhat less articulated.) What a joyful revelation when I discovered as a teenager that she had actually been a gorgeous, talented, adventurous, sexy (1950's sexy....not 21st century skanky-sexy) and vibrant woman. I loved and miss her stories of life on the road, touring with her quartet as an opening act for Vic Damone, being on TV, attending the school for the performing arts, traveling the country and so on.
Lovely Rita, my dynamo, I still miss you. Happy Mother's day,
-k.
4 comments:
Beautifully written. It brought me to tears.
You should seriously do something with your writing talent Kel.
Oh mommy, mommy, mommy. I wish she could have read that Kel. And to think all she thought she had to be proud of was her 10 children and her van. She was so much more than she realized. I realized when you spoke of wishing you had more time as a woman with mom, that although I had the most time with her as an adult, I still long for more. I want to talk to her now about being a grandma. How greedy we are for time with loved ones gone on and yet, do we spend enough time with our loved ones still here? That is how I try to live my life now. Time is precious.
Kelly - it's Becky's mom - this brought tears to my eyes! A mom such as yours will & does have everlasting influence on those who knew her - regardless of the length of time. When you spoke of her many attributes, your mention of her faith hit me the most. There is nothing more precious that a mother (or father) can give to their child(ren) than a strong belief & faith in our Lord Jesus Christ - for without Him, life has not meaning nor hope! My prayer for you & Chris is that God will remain with you and that, by seeing his wonders each day of your travels, your faith and trust in Him will grow! Love & prayers to a wonderful couple -- and, we will see you again! Debbie & Kim
After checking out all the pics so far, this is the one I had to respond to the most. Now being a mother myself, I consider your mom to be one of my heroes. Although I didn't know her very well, all the times I met her she always gave me a warm motherly feeling in my heart. And with all the stories you've told me through the years, I feel like I knew her better. I often think, " How incredible to raise 10 children", when I'm having a tough day with my two little cherubs. Your mom raised you so well and I know she and your Dad are so proud of you.
Love you Kel-
Pattie
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