MAMA JO REVISITED: Mother’s Day Without Her

This Mother’s Day, 2016, marks the eleventh one without Mama Jo. It’s always been tinged with sadness since her passing, but this one will be particularly hard. I recently completed reading and editing the audiobook of When I Married My Mother. I read it four times, all nine hours, before I had it right. Every single time, when I reached the end, it was as though I was losing her all over again. I was wiped out. Immobilized.

And yet, I also laughed and laughed. Oh, what a crazy story! What fun we had. Did I really do that? Did my brother and I and his wife clean out that horrible house? Did I fall in love with the Damn Dolls? Were they truly some of the best years of my life? Absolutely. Still.

What would have happened if I had not taken that leap of faith to leave New York City and take care of her? Never did I think I would move to North Carolina and stay. But I did and I’m a better person for it.

Thank you, Mama Jo. What I would give to hold your hand one more time. Or hear you say, “Bye, now.”