Our Mom
Good Morning, thank you all so much for being here. The love in this church is palpable and it’s truly a testament to who our mother was.
I’m honored to deliver the beautiful words that my brother and sister so eloquently wrote. Thank you, Ted and Caroline.
Our mom was always a woman who radiated joy, kindness, and compassion. Every person who came across her path could not help but be happier for the experience. We always joke about the popular homecoming queen growing up, but it is far more unwavering and all encompassing than just being popular.
This is a woman who would make friends with every. single. person. she came across, whether it be a gas station attendant, a coworker, or a friend of a friend. Every person who crossed her path could not help but be infected with her joy.
Our mom was a living embodiment of the ideals of the Catholic faith. She had a gift for empathy and compassion that crossed socio-economic, cultural, and religious boundaries. When Christ said to “love your neighbor as yourself”, our mother did not take that as a platitude, a suggestion, or an ideal, but as a central truth of life. This was a core pillar of her soul, her mind, and her heart, intrinsic to her entire being and impossible to separate from her. Every person she met was her neighbor. She didn’t think she was better than anyone. There was no one who was undeserving of her respect and her love.
Our mom loved a good quote. She often printed them out, cut them into fun shapes and taped them on the refrigerator and such. They were quotes about love and life.
For Christmas, in our late twenties, she gifted us these beautiful wooden signs that feature a quote from Winnie the Pooh. They read:
“Promise me, you’ll always remember,
You’re Braver than you Believe
Stronger than you Seem
And Smarter than you Think”
This quote is the best. It not only is an important reminder, but a great representation of our mother - always someone’s biggest fan, especially that of her children!
One of these signs now hangs in Thomas’ bedroom and we smile whenever we see it.
Mom, we have a Winnie the Pooh quote for you today, it is:
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?”
Our mom lived in two worlds. One foot in reality and the other in a romance novel. Our father endearingly referred to our mom as Pollyanna because she had a talent of looking at life through rose colored glasses.
Although she knew that life is hard, she often reminded us that God only gives you what you can handle.
During times of hardship, books were her escape, and as someone who always believed in a happily ever after, Romance was her preferred genre.
A beautiful thing about our mom is that she was not competitive or comparative. She never felt the need to read New York Times Best Sellers or what was most on-trend. In all aspects of life, she simply knew what she liked.
We want to share two of our favorite lessons from our mom. Lessons that were passed down by her mother and probably Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, or really any author who threw a shirtless Scotsman on the paper back cover.
The first lesson is to believe in the power of small gestures.
Our mother loved a small gesture. Helping Ray shovel his driveway across the street, or baking brownies for George, and of course surprising Charlie with a vanilla milkshake. It’s truly a beautiful thing - to think of others before oneself.
We’ve experienced so many people from all aspects of our mother’s life showing up for us over the years. And we have to say, your small gestures have made a large impact on our family.
In honor of our mother, the next time you have the opportunity, please make the small gesture, it will mean a lot to someone.
The second lesson is, it is nice to be missed.
We miss you Mom, and love you, endlessly.
~ Words of Remembrance, Friday, February 3rd at the Funeral Mass of Nancy G. Sforza at St. John Church in Darien CT ~