With each passing year Veteran’s day, the day I unexpectedly lost my mom, becomes easier. There were a couple of unexpected and jarring bumps that managed to put a bit of an edge back on the day. Two friends lost parents within the last week (Esther Arbuckle and Orville Jennings). I’m at a complete loss of words except to express my deepest heart-felt sympathy to both of those families. I can only offer that time does heal wounds, despite how trite that statement must seem in this moment. I find that I spend less time standing in her hospital room watching as I lose her repeatedly, clinging onto those last threads of conversation and I can sit quietly in a room without fear that I might dissolve. I can almost watch shows now that have dramatic hospital death bed scenes… almost… baby steps.

So today, I wanted to share a little about my mother through music. People will tell you a lot of things about Mom, boiling her down to a few odd traits, which while interesting and mostly true, show they only knew the surface of who she was and I think to begin to get a foundation, you have to start with the music she enjoyed. And I want to say she was so much more than Oz or early presents or popsicles and that I’m sorry few of you really got to know her.

A little Gershwin… (performed by Leonard Bernstein, of course)

… and that’s just a little bit of who my Mom was.