My Sister, Kathy's Tribute to our Mother

All she left was a smile; one smile that was one hundred thousand million smiles, each sunnier than the one before. It was the out-pouring of her charm and it came as naturally to her as breathing. She bluffed even doctors and nurses with that blooming smile, even when she was in pain and discomfort, her pleasant and cheery grin would spread across her face and light up her eyes in greeting: a radiant, glorious smile, full of fun and mischief.

And you can see that smile on the face of each of her seven children, we all inherited it and, truthfully, it comes as natural as breathing to every one of us, too. It has helped each of us. People have known from that smile what they knew from Gloria’s: that they are liked, simply and cheerfully liked, no matter who they are, that smile tells them that there is something likable about them. And so, as it is a catchy smile, they always smile back.  (Well, except for some real ornery ones, but none of them are here today!)

When she died, and so many friends and acquaintances sympathized with me in palpable sincerity, all I could say to them was: “She was my mother, she taught me to smile”.

She taught us, her tribe of seven children, a lot of things and we all used all of what she taught us to our individual best. We will go on cherishing our merry, starry memories of our mother and loving her forever. 

And her love and her very being will shine out through us... all the days of our lives. May our smiles be continuing cheer for our Dad.

That's a lotta smiles to keep you going Dad. A lot of smiles and a lot of love.

Today would be our mom's 84th birthday. I am lucky enough to share her birthday month. We always compared if the leaves were prettier the first week of October or the middle of the month. Some years my birthday week had the most spectacular color, some years her's did. This year it was all her's, and that makes me smile...and makes me miss her all the more.

Happy Birthday, Mom. Thanks for giving us so much love.