Dear Mom,

My first memories of a child were in Belmont. Believe it or not it was when I was a baby. I can’t believe that I can remember this far back, but my first memory was of you changing my diaper. You had put on some rubber diapers and I hated the way it felt. I couldn’t talk then so I cried and cried. You then put me back down and changed them to something else that wasn’t uncomfortable, and I stopped crying.

The next memory I can remember was around the same timeframe and I wanted you to hold me so I cried. There you stood on a yellow phone in the kitchen with the curly cord tied to the wall while you talked to somebody. You put the phone down, picked me up, and rocked back and forth while finishing your phone call. Again, I stopped crying.

So my first memories are of you being the best Mom anyone could ever have hoped for. This trend continued throughout my entire life.

I remember waiting for the bus for kindergarten in front of 48 Falmouth Street and there were different colored flagstones. We would play a game of hopping to whatever color you called out. It’s what started our “gaming” together.

We would walk to your friend’s house that lived near Grove Park and we would change from walking, skipping, running, and running backwards as you called things out. Again making a game out of a simple walk.

When I was 5 and we moved to Burlington, I came down with a bad ear ache. It hurt so bad that I can still to this day remember the pain. I remember laying on the couch with a light blue coat on (it had flannel looking patter on the inside of it) crying and crying and you were putting the drops in my ears to make me feel better.

One day instead of walking home from Fox Hill Elementary, you told me that you would pick me up in the blue Vega since we were going straight to run errands. I had forgotten and I got to the inner side porch. I knocked and knocked for you to open it. But you weren’t there. I hit it so hard that my hand went through the glass and broke it. Blood poured down my hand. I screamed and at that time I saw you driving past the house to go pick me up. I was so scared. I ran up to the school and you were just coming out of the school probably as nervous as I was wondering where I was. But you didn’t let me see your concern about that. You instantly went into “Mom Mode” and took me home, cleaned my cut, then took me to the urgent care to get stitches. I still have a scar from that day.

Time upon time, you proved that you must have been running for the Best Mom in the universe competition! You got my vote!

You were my Sunday School teacher and taught me about Jesus. I remember one day you were teaching of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It was about the attitudes and the beatitudes. You drew a poster board with a fork in the road with one side going to each. 30 years later little did I know I would be standing on that same mount overlooking the Sea of Galilee wishing that you were there to witness that spot with me.

You taught me that laughing at yourself is a good thing! We were at the MVP Sporting Goods store at the 4 corners in Woburn and we were getting a water bottle for my sports. After the guy showed us how to use them, you asked “How many straws does that thing come with”? Of course, he laughed since you’re not supposed to suck on it, but to spray it into your mouth!

Another time we were at the MVP Sporting Store I saw a skateboard that had a picture of the guy from Mad Magazine on it. I wanted it SO bad! I remember it was $30! I just calculated that and in today’s dollars that is $70.28! That was a lot of money for an 8 year old! We calculated all the bonuses I had on my chores list, and realized I was short. But you didn’t say no, and you didn’t just give it to me! You came up with a plan right in the store, right then as to how much overtime chores I would need to work in order to pay for the Skateboard that month! You bought the Skateboard, so it wouldn’t sell out, but you kept it in the box until I could pay for the whole thing. You taught me about hard work and overtime!

When I was doing poorly in class you asked where I was sitting, and I told you in the back. You asked me to sit up front so I did. I started doing better in class. So you took me to Lenscrafters were for the first time in my life of about 8 years I screamed “I CAN SEEEEEEEEE”! I remember driving home that night and I was blown away that I could actually see into people’s windows as we drove by houses! Again you taught me how to think through problems and how to try different things to try and solve them!

When in High School you did a great job being my personal chef! No matter how hectic your day was, you always had time to make me an extra big milk shake to “put some calories” into me! I guess I must have been burning a lot of calories back then!

Fast forward to my college years when you and Dad moved from Boston to Arizona. I wanted to be there so bad, and the winters were terrible. I hadn’t seen the sun in 4 months and I missed you guys so much! I knew you guys went to bed early, but I called you at 3am crying saying how much I missed you guys. You helped come up with an idea to have me move out here for 6 months for a co-op position which I got at Dot Safe and met friends to this day (Eric and Wes from Alabama, and Errol). At the end of the conversation you said “ I know I’m not there right now, but consider yourself hugged”! Amazing how good a hug can feel from 3,000 miles away!

On Christmas Eve Day when we told you that Denise and I got engaged, you called up the family back east and said “We have breaking news here”!

You are the most amazing Mom, and Wife anyone could have dreamed of. When you Google “Best Mom Ever”, there should be a picture of you!

You have instilled a huge amount wisdom in many people and have changed the lives of everyone you have come in contact with.  Simply put: you will be leaving this world in better shape than you found it! Your ripples of love and compassion will continue to reverberate through myself, Dad, Jeff, Steve, Denise, Theresa, Jen, Ethan, Maddy, and everyone else you’ve ever come in contact with.

You’ve always been the most loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, faithful, gentle, and self-controlling person.

It’s no coincidence those just happen to be the fruits of the spirit that comes from the Holy Spirit (Galatian 5:22-23) and that Jesus says you will be known for by them. (Matthew 7:20)

In 2 Corinthians 5 it says “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 

In 1 Corinthians 15, Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As much as I am going to miss you in this temporary home called Earth we will be reunited again in eternity with Jesus. As Jesus said in John 6:44 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 I’m not sure if you’ve ever in your adult life professed your faith in Jesus, but in case you’d like to do it now in surety that we will meet again in eternity, here is a direct way to do so. Just say these things aloud and the Lord will hear your prayer!

I believe and trust that Jesus is the Son of God

I believe and trust that He died on the cross for my sins

I have taken him as my personal Lord and Savior.

See you in Heaven Mom!

Your loving Son,

Pally