Friday, April 17, 2020

The Voyage

several times a day
i pause and wonder where you might be now
what is it like in this new existence

i'm sure that I feel your lightness of being now
a diamond clear and sparkling transparency
that rains over me
in a gentle wash of you


it's just a feeling
but a comforting one
to feel you are at peace
one with all there is
beside inside and around each one of us

everyone that you ever loved
during your time here
before taking off on your amazing journey
of forever-ness

bon voyage sweet lady.
thank you for the good life you gave to me
see you on the other side.






Sunday, April 5, 2020

Lorraine Stern 1918 to 2020

The story my mother always told us about the glorious day of her birth, as told to her by her mother Grace, was that on November 7th 1918, celebrations occurred across the world after the announcement that the armistice was soon to be signed and the "war to end all wars" had finally come to an end, but she only heard the "celebrations occurred all over the world" part, believing for the longest time that the global rejoicing was entirely about her coming into the world. It gave that little girl a sense of self importance but it also gave her a stunning sense of invincibility, self confidence and optimism that would serve her through out her life. 

She was born in a vet hospital because it was the midst of the 1918 pandemic and all of the other hospitals were over run with dying influenza patients. 
A ward of recovering French soldiers in the vet hospital were overcome with joy at the announcement of the war's end and the sight of a new born baby girl, and they asked Grace to name her Alsace after their home Alsace Lorraine. She nixed the Alsace and gave mom the name Lorraine. 

Almost 102 years later, on April 4th 2020 my mother, our amazing sweet Lorraine exited this world on another pandemic.  

She was not just my mom but my friend and confidant. We talked to each other everyday. I will miss those daily conversations profoundly. She was truly a remarkable human being dearly loved by everyone who knew her...funny, extremely smart, brave, kind, biting and opinionated at times, generous, talented, lover of art, travel, reading (she used to devour books) politics (she was a leftist I.F. Sone Weekly reading junkie) cooking and food....she could eat a man three times her tiny self under the table. 

When someone you love crosses the 95 year old mark we start preparing ourselves emotionally for that persons eventual passing on into the next realm. When that moment does indeed come, which it does for all of us as no one gets out alive, it is no easier for having prepared yourself. The loss is real and painful. This remarkable woman who touched so many lives over her very long rich life has passed on. I was going to write that she is gone now, but she really isn't because she is a part of everyone who ever loved her and still loves her. That is her immortality. 101? That's just the physical Lolo. She really is inside of us forever.


Lorraine Lowe 1923


1939 on the road, Augusta Ga


Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Bliss


Press shot Lorraine Grant days


Press shot singing with dads orchestra 1943


Mom with her brother Tommy 1944


New parents. with baby Trudy 1945


Mom and Dad downtown Buffalo


101 years young...


Fist bump!


How we remember her...smiling in her kitchen.