My Mother: Helen G. Marotta 1922-2010

Three weeks ago the most beautiful person I have ever known died. My Mother was a wonderful person who had endured much sadness and heartbreak in her life. The funny thing is only those closest to her ever knew that. She also knew joy! The day of my last post was probably one of her best days. She looked beautiful as we went to a bridal shower for my cousin's daughter. It was a wonderful day, she felt good and laughed alot. After the shower we went back to my brother's house and spent a few hours talking and laughing. It was so joyous~ a true gift!

I once wrote, in the early days of this blog, that other than my sister my Mom was a great influence on me becoming a reader. When I was a little girl the summers were lonely. All the neighborhood kids went away but we never did. One summer I sat all day long inside watching television. In those days there was no Oprah on in the afternoon....but there were movies. My Mother got tired of me just sitting in front of the "boob tube" all day. I can still see her standing at the sink telling me I needed to go outside. I told her it was boring outside....she said "read a book".....and so it began.

My Mother also loved to read....when I was young she read alot of Agatha Christie but as we got older she liked to read history. She loved to read about Lincoln or the American Revolution. She had two favorite books of her childhood....Ivanhoe and Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates. She also used to talk about a very obscure book called Mystery At High Hedges by Edith Bishop Sherman written in 1937. A few years ago I found it on Albris and bought it for her. She was so thrilled to see it again. When I was in school she discovered the story of the Velveteen Rabbit~she loved it so much that when she finally got a copy of it she treasured it. When I see that book I think of her.

My Mother was also a bit of a writer---which is probably where my sister got her talent from. Since my Mother was a woman of great faith most of her poems had a religious bent. As a Catholic she had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother. She liked to wear blue "for Our Lady" ~which is what I think of when I wear blue too.

My Mother was also a gifted singer. She never sang professionally but she probably could have if given the opportunity and the ego to do it. She used to sing at weddings~she told me that she even sat on a piano once to sing "ala the movies". She was always singing in the kitchen or anywhere in the house. My love of music stems from both my parents but my love of Gershwin et al is due to my Mom! She was always singing show tunes or old classics. She and my father also loved opera~they used to sing aria's together. My Mom's favorite opera was La Boheme and my Dad's was La Traviata....how I will miss her voice which, while it couldn't hit a high note anymore, was still quite beautiful.

My Mom was my most ardent supporter. She is the only person I can truly say was always in my corner. No matter what I did she was there for me. The pain I feel now she is gone is incredible~the only comfort I have is that I know she wants me to be happy. I will try very hard to fulfill her wish~Mom I love you!