Day Twenty-Four (of 30) Moms (A Tribute)

This is another sad day. The second sad day in a week for me. Last Friday, I visited my old friend Dave at his mother's wake. I hadn't seen him in 20 years, and it felt like no time had passed at all. Except, of course, for the realization that it did, and we were at his mother's wake.

I remembered her from my formative days. His mom made Kool-Aid and pizza for us on our day-long bike excursions. She watched out for him, she watched out for me, and I found out at the funeral home, she watched out for pretty much everyone she knew. All around, she was one of the nicest people I've ever met.

This evening, I will attend another wake, memorializing my friend Devin's mom. Devin is a current and ongoing friend and I've known his mom for a long time, now. She was his biggest groupie, that's for sure. She was another force of good in the world, also gone too soon.

I have seen people struggle with life and make things harder for themselves, but that doesn't describe Nancy. Maybe before I met her that was the case (don't know), but her kids were all grown up by the time she came to the first Magnificent Ambersons gig (and screamed for a guitar solo) with me in the band. She was always, always nice to me. And she was ebullient at Rachael's wedding:


Overall, Dave and Devin were very lucky to have had the mothers they did for so many years. On the eve of a fairly significant birthday, I consider myself very, very lucky, too.

Hi, mom.