This lady rubbing noses with my dad would have been 90 years old today. I would have made a Boston Cream Pie and shared a glass of champagne with her if she were still here on the earth. But she is too far away to visit in person, so I will instead visit her in my heart and via cyberspace today. Genevieve Johnston grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and although she had a most gorgeous name, she preferred to be called "Betty." She played the piano, the harp and the violin. She attended Sarah Lawrence College before marrying my dad in 1941 and moving to Southern California. She bore four girls -- Priscilla, Marie, Carol and me (the caboose). She served at Downey Community Hospital where she became a member of the Board of Directors. Her name is on a plaque outside the hospital. I am proud of her service. Although she loved classical music, I remember her learning "Stairway to Heaven" on the piano for me. She bought me a guitar. She liked it when I sang "Pink Cadillac." She accepted my stepchildren as her own. Even when she was ill, she tried to dissuade me from visiting her because the 50 miles were "such a long drive." It's been 9 years since she passed away. And I still feel like she left me too soon. I guess you just never want to say good-bye to someone so wonderful. She loved with everything she had. "Mama said I love you with every meal she made, and every time she made me take my coat. When I moved away, she smiled through her tears, said she'd be fine here on her own. The brave look on her face told me what she didn't say. I love you more than you will ever know. That's why I wish you'd stay, and why I'll let you go. I will love you even when I'm gone. Take my love with you and pass it on." I will Mom.
Lyrics from "Pass it on"
Available at iTunes by "Special Blend"
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