MEMORIES OF MOM

- Stacey Street, Contributing Writer

I never took for granted that I had an incredibly special Mom.  I always knew how lucky I was to have such an unselfish, warm and giving mother, with a great sense of humor on top of it.  And now that she is no longer living, I will treasure the gifts she shared with me more than ever.

When people remember my Mom, they always mention her huge, warm smile, her  unmistakable, infectious laugh (she told me stories of how people would find her in a crowd because of her laugh, even if they hadn’t known she would be there), and her unique ability to make people feel instantly comfortable and good about themselves.  She was never judgmental and was one of the best listeners I knew, eagerly asking to know every detail of her friends’ and families’ lives.  I will remember and miss all these too, and feel so lucky that I had the benefit of her gifts for so many years.

In addition to all this, Mom was the best role model I could have ever asked for, both as a parent and as a woman.  She had a long list of accomplishments – prodigious pianist who almost attended conservatory, star student who received scholarships to the Seven Sister schools, respected journalist with UPI in Dallas, and the youngest Director of PR at Nieman Marcus, working directly for Mr. Stanley himself – but Mom would never have referred to herself as a feminist.  Because above all, she was modest and humble, and didn’t think that she was any smarter, better or more talented than anyone else, another of her traits that made people love her.  Mom taught me that I could do anything that I want to do, she taught me to believe in myself and most of all, to take advantage of opportunities and to use my gifts and talents to their fullest.  She also taught me how to recognize and accept my own strengths and weaknesses, allowing me to complement them in my professional and personal lives.

Most of all, Mom let me know all the time that I was constantly loved by her no matter what, and that she believed in me and would be proud of me for always.  Mom always sent her cards and letters with hundreds of  Xs, Ox and hearts, so you can only imagine what my cards and notes were like!  I have kept many of those notes and cards over the years, and will treasure them for years to come.  Now I aspire to be as good a mother to my three-year-old daughter Alyssa as she was to me, to be sure to shower her with love and affection but also to make sure she knows how much I believe in her and respect her talents and abilities.

Mom truly was one of the most loving and giving people I have ever known, showering gifts on everyone in our family, feeling bad if she ever missed sending someone a birthday card, and spoiling her kitties completely rotten (to the point that I would sometimes get jealous…)  I know my husband Jason was almost uncomfortable the first Christmas he shared with my family, when he walked into the guest room to find the bed literally covered in presents for him, something he got used to over time… 

One of the most important gifts Mom passed on to me was a love of music.  Our home was  always filled with joyous music, either her playing piano or something playing on the stereo, and she taught me to enjoy and appreciate it from a very early age.  Even though I never had her talent for piano, I’m so glad she forced me to continue it (though she refused to teach me, wanting to still be my friend!), and I know I wouldn’t have felt the same passion for singing, and therefore wouldn’t have pursued a career as an arts administrator, without her encouragement and mutual passion for all kinds of music.  I am so happy that

Alyssa has always loved music and dance, even since she was a tiny baby, and will definitely carry on the family legacy of appreciation of the arts. Mom was also so inspiring to me throughout her declining health and long hospitalization, never complaining too much, always trying to muster a smile, treating her doctors and nurses with kind respect and appreciation.  She fought so hard and was so strong, yet still remained as positive as she could at all times.  This was a lifelong trait of Mom’s and one that I will always admire.

While I never took Mom for granted, it is still a tremendous comfort

to me to know that she has a long-lasting and indelible legacy in the memories and love that her family and friends share with me. Alyssa is so much like her, and has so much of my Mom in her: so when she drives me crazy with the strong-will and stubbornness she got from Mom, I'll just

remind myself that she also inherited Mom's lively, warm, friendly and creative qualities, too.