I haven't been able to actually sit and write these words out until now. I know its probably so lame but I was devastated when Whitney Houston died! So much so, I just pretended it wasn't real. I grew up on Whitney. My Mom loved her long before the Bodyguard days. My Mom would blast Whitney when she was cleaning, in the car, and on road trips.
I remember doing a lip sync in 4th grade for the Olinda talent show to "The Greatest Love of All" with my friend Marzette Greytack. I remember us practicing on the side of our house in our cool baggy sweatshirts and stretchy pants that were our costumes.
I have another great memory from my Freshman year of High School. I was driving home with my Mom from the Stake Seminary Scripture chase and I had won! I beat everyone out, including my older brother Brian who was in the finals with me. I wasn't exactly the coolest kid so this was a pretty big deal for me. As we were driving home in our big Van it was just me and my Mom. She got all teary and said she wanted to play me a song. Whitney sang me, "One Moment in Time." Its a funny memory but it is so distinct. In that moment I felt so great because my Mom was so proud of me.
After My Mom died I listened to Whitney - A LOT. It made me feel close to my Mom and her music brought me so much comfort. Somehow losing Whitney so soon after my Mom makes it hurt all over again.
I don't like singing solo.
Thank you for this blog and for posting your mom's experiences with ALS, and for celebrating her life in general here. My mom was diagnosed Oct 2011, two months after my husband and I had moved out to MD from UT. We'll finish off the school year here and move back (I'm a teacher, he's a grad student), but it's been extremely difficult to be so far away. I was sad and shocked to learn your mom's disease progressed so quickly. I really want to read this whole blog in time. As a side note, our family is LDS as well, although I found your blog just by searching for another blog someone had kept for their mom. So glad I found yours :)
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