Loss!! A Very Personal Journey

Valentine’s Day is about sharing time with the special people in your life and likely a little bit of chocolate and flowers. It is less frequently about loss.

Sadly, in my extended family this day is marked by a truly profound loss. My kind-hearted, sweet, smart, funny, beautiful “bonus” daughter barely knew her mom. Their time together was so short. Beverly was so young, just 35 when she died of kidney cancer on Valentine’s Day. Jennifer? Only just barely 3!

Introducing, mom by committee featuring Jennifer’s two fabulous aunts, her grandmother, me, and the other fabulous women that have been in her life all of her life. Keeping memories alive; cheering along the way as new memories are made; celebrating her first job as an OT, a New Hampshire winter wedding, the arrivals of Jared and then Travis, a first home, and first & second pups. Creating a cookbook featuring Beverly’s recipes; digging way back into the archives at Stanford to uncover a copy of Beverly’s dissertation. Piecing together the puzzle so Jennifer has learned how very much she shares in common with her mom.

Filling in the hole left from the loss of her mom? Not even close! Clumsily but truly authentically we gently are guiding Jennifer and honoring her mom. Proud? Indeed! Beverly would be so proud of her little girl’s accomplishments. She would be equally amazed by her handsome grandsons. Sharing their journeys has been my humble privilege.