A Gump Weekend

I just spent four days with my mom. Listening to that woman talk about her life is like a Forest Gump ride through time.

Her father ran out on her mother when mom was young, around 1932. To support herself, my grandmother began her own bakery, eventually opening a second location. She was so successful, she helped nearly her entire family through the depression. At any given time, there may have been 8 or 10 aunts, uncles, or cousins living with them.

Mom was the most popular girl in her high school, she dated the most popular boy. She graduated two years early, and started college at 16. Her big sister in the sorority was crowned Miss America.

After she and Dad married, they moved from Memphis to Los Angeles. They were part of the 'cool' crowd in the early 1950s. They knew everyone, and went everywhere. As we drove around LA, she would point out places or where places used to be, and share a story of when they were there, and who they met.

As time passed, after kids came along, she eventually went into the corporate world. She was hugely successful in Columbus, again, she knew everyone. She has stories of execs, celebrities, athletes, even an astronaut. She wined and dined with the best of them.

She traveled to Central America during her years with CARE, and she has been to Europe several times, the most recent just last year after her first round of chemo.

And now, as she deals with terminal cancer, she is still amazing. She has begun dating a lawyer/former politician from Memphis. At 75! I can't write enough about what an inspiration she is to me.

I hope there is time to record all the wonderful stories she has in her memory. I have tried to take notes of many, and hope to put them all together some day.