THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL - A LETTER FROM SHARON

There was a little girl Who had a little curl Right in middle of her forehead! And when she was good She was very very good! But when she was bad She was even better!!!

As I recall …Mom used to read this to me when I was very little and change the end to “She was even better.”

So strangely enough that is how I started my eulogy about Mom at the Memorial.   Mom was very loving and caring and always there for me and my sons. And even when she “was bad” or should I say “was mad” … we would all get the heck out of the way!  I know the worst thing for me was to disappoint her and Dad.  

“She was even better!” Back in the day, there weren’t many Mother’s who were working and would quit there jobs to baby-sit so I could go back to work in the salon and continue my career. Somehow, I think she must have known that a few years later I would be a single Mother and need to support myself and my boys. What a Women, what a special Mother she was. I don’t know what I would’ve done without her!

“She was even better” I definitely didn’t inherit  the “Mrs. Clean Thing”  Mom owned that as her own…but glad I inherited the “be strong and be tough” and when something medical or health wise comes up just handle it and do whatever needs to be done.  She was always brave and tough through the worst of everything! She was always more worried about what I had gone through than what she was experiencing. She is my hero!    

“She was even better” Bunny took great care of Mom and Dad for nine long years. I could only go to help give Bunny a break every few months.  The last year we moved her to Phoenix it was my honor to be there for her. We were able to spend the good times and the bad times together, the weekly trips to the Wound Clinic for months on end, the 6weeks of IV antibiotics every day before work, and of course…the Mexican dinners and her favorite 6 oz. glass of red wine.  Yes…with Mexican food!

“She is even better NOW” I’ve always said in my trips to Huntington Beach if Harley (my Yorkie) could’ve driven …I could’ve just sent him!  Mom would’ve been just as glad! He was the favorite...he was “her boy!”  It was more than fitting that some of his ashes were with her so they both could be together forever!  I’m sure all of Mom’s dogs were waiting for her at the Pearly Gates, Fluffy, Jose, Chico, little Chico, Fonzi and of course P.J.  I am sure … “She is even better NOW!!”

Love you and Miss you Mom.

Sharon

WITH LOVE TO MY MOM - FROM BUNNY...

On May 9th 2016 I lost my mother and my best friend. I will miss her presence, her eagerness to celebrate life and her crazy Polish ways for the rest of my life. I think we all remember her as being a kind and loving person who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. And I also think we all remember that if you got her mad you better be prepared with an escape route fast!! Today I am going to talk about some of the great times we spent together.

The most important thing in life to Helen was: #1 her family, #2 food and #3 fun. She loved to travel, go fishing, clean the house (yes that was fun to her), play slot machines, go to a movie, and go out to dinner. When they were young Helen and Mike used to go dancing & hit up all the cool night clubs in Chicago. She loved sports of all types: hockey, basketball, baseball, football, horse racing, stock car races & professional ice skating. And you can bet, she was the loudest fan in the crowd whether she was at the game or watching it at home! She also really loved comedy & going to the Improve & The Comedy Store. She loved all types of comedians Don Rickles, Dean Martin, Phylis Diller, Johnny Carson, Richard Pryor, Dave Chappell, Joan Rivers,  Jay Leno, Jeff Dunham, Kathy Griffin, Jeff Ross and she would tape all the Comedy Central Roasts on TV.  Yep, she was a fun girl!!

So it was my mission later in life to have her make a bucket list and I was prepared to take on the challenge. As I share with you her bucket list, I also want to preface the fact that she had this special something that would always draw complete strangers (male & female) to her where ever we went. She was a great wingman and I always told her she was my "golden ticket" because of her bubbly personality but mostly because her cane and her walker always got us the best seats in the house!! So now I would like to do a little "Show and Tell" for you & not just read off this paper!
Like I said earlier, I will miss Mom for the rest of my life, but she's left me with a beautiful gift:  her positive attitude, her passion for life, and her unconditional love.

Again, thank you all for coming to help us celebrate this beautiful woman's life!

A LETTER FROM KIERSTEN - FOR HELEN: 

I think it goes without saying that grandma Helen was important to all of our lives. 
It wasn't until she passed that I realized how greatly she affected my life on a day
to-day basis. I remember being 7 and her teaching me how to make the perfect
vodka tonic. A skill that has come in quite handy. I remember having a spa day
 with hairdresser Nina and going into her room to try on every ounce of perfume
 she ever owned.

Most often, however I remember the stories she told me. When
I would stay the night at her house, I would sleep on this tiny cot and she would
tell me stories that she would make up on the spot. I can't remember a single
detail of the plot or characters, I only recall feeling safe, loved and falling asleep
without a care in the world, because I knew she would protect me. I am so very
lucky to have lived a life worthy of someone like her, and I strive each and every
day to make her and grandpa Mike, proud. I will miss her and her stories every
day. 

Love Always,
Kiersten