Grandma Sheila

Diana’s mother Sheila passed away yesterday morning. After a five year fight against cancer, she finally let go. She was at peace and thankfully pain free.

This thing I write is about sons and fathers. But it’s about mothers, too. And there has never been a mother quite as wonderful as Sheila. In all the years I knew her, I never heard her say a negative thing. Ever. It just wasn’t in her nature. Even towards the end, when the disease had her firmly in its grasp, she couldn’t bring herself feel anything but completely alive.

Diana said it best, “The world is a decidedly less sparkly place without her.” She was right. There was something so…sparkly about Sheila. She was bright and funny. Gorgeous and kind. Sheila had a grace about her that seemed almost out of place today. When she burst into a room and chirped, “Bonjour!” you’d swear it was Audrey Hepburn handing you a glass of Champagne.

She leaves behind thousands of students who secretly wished she were their mother. And she leaves 5 kids who were lucky enough for it to be true.

Luca and Elijah both had the gift of saying goodbye to her when we visited last month. They were both sweet and beautiful and heartbreaking. Luca couldn’t possibly know the gravity of what was happening. And yet, he toddled over and grabbed her fragile hand dangling over the hospital bed. And he kissed it.

I’m going to take a short break from the blog while we head to Illinois for a few days. Do me a favor while you wait for us to get back to poops and summer camp. If you still have a mom who is alive, give her a call and tell her you love her.