Joy Journal

My best and oldest friend’s mom passed away in December 2024. She was a remarkable woman with so much love for her family, friends and life itself! The most heart wrenching death I’ve ever witnessed, she passed away from #Alzheimer’s

Tammy and Julie have been in my life for what seems like forever, cuz it kind of is! I met Tammy in kindergarten and we immediately became friends for life. Julie is “our little sister” and is as much a sister as one can have! I love them both so very much. Tammy came from Linwood and on her first day of kindergarten she clung to a pole and was crying! I went up to her and said “I’ll be your friend.” And the rest is history!

Aside from creating this life-long, close friendship, the wonderful thing about this encounter is that later in the second grade, our friend Charlene was new to the neighborhood and Stanford. Tammy paid it forward and told her “I’ll be your friend.” Talk about being ahead of her time!

I recently moved to the high desert, which is closer than I had been for 25 years. I’m so grateful I got here in time to be supportive to my “sisters” and the family. I was able to help by coloring and cutting Mom’s hair without leaving the house and it sure made her happy! She liked a little lipstick and a mani-pedi too! Dad really appreciate it too.

I visited with Mom during the past year. She knew me up to the end which I feel was amazing! She and I shared a few spoken and“unspoken” conversations. It was mostly about us looking into each other’s eyes and holding hands with a light stroke. Sometimes she would hold my hand really hard. Sometimes I would speak softly to her while holding her hand, it was usually during those moments that she squeezed my hand hard!

She was an award winning artist! Blue ribbons! She was also a gifted writer. This is where the “Joy Journal” originated for me. I had never heard of one called this. Thanks Mom!

Today was Mom’s 80th birthday. I spent the weekend with Tammy. Shopping, eating and binging a tv show. (SOA)

My relationship with the Franks family is my first entry in my #JoyJournal I love you all!