I have a ton of memories of my mother, of course.
The one that stands out to me right now is being at her album release party in June 2018.
Several jazz musicians got together to play songs that they had recorded for an album that she took the initiative to create in honor of my dad’s memory. The spotlight was on her. The spotlight was on the artists. The spotlight was on the music. The spotlight was on dad’s memory.
The spotlight was on the creation that she made happen.
She managed to take the loss of the love of her life for over 45 years and create a new home, community, and purpose for herself. I’d say that’s incredibly impressive.
Many people expressed surprise to me that she created a jazz album. I didn’t understand why they were surprised.
I was proud of her, and it was really nice to watch her revel in the joy of what she created, which was truly meaningful to her.