rock on.
florida girl
January 28, 2010
Gina, my sister, visiting from the Sunshine State. She’s never seen a snowfall. But she’s darn cute in winter duds. 
mom and dad
January 28, 2010
My parents, taken the day they went home from our super Christmas/New Year’s week.
I miss them everyday.
nana
November 14, 2009
Obviously I didn’t take this picture. It is of my grandmother on her wedding day, somewhere in Panama, sometime in the mid 20th century.
Today would have been her birthday. I suppose it still is, since dying doesn’t ignore the fact that one was indeed born. Eleanor Parris died on February 13, 1997. I was in high school; senior year. I knew something was wrong when no one came to pick us up from band practice when it was over. She would sometimes do that. Instead a neighbor came to get us very late. They wouldn’t answer any of our questions.
Her death was difficult for me. I knew that people didn’t live forever, but for some reason I never had to realize the inevitability of living without my closest relatives. Even at 16, I never had anyone who was close to me actually die. So it was a complete mindscrew on a few levels. I didn’t realize how important she was to me until she was gone.
I often wonder if she would be proud of me today. Sure, there are things I do that I KNOW she wouldn’t approve of (she believed ladies should never chew gum or whistle in public, so I’m sure I’m breaking some rules), but there are so many things I wonder about. I wonder what she would have thought of me getting married at 20, what she would do with Zoey if they got to spend time together, what kind of advice she would give me about things going on in my life….
I know one thing for sure. If she was here right now, she’d be padding around the kitchen in her houseshoes humming to herself and talking about soap operas. And smiling.
Happy birthday.
