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Hope Green uploaded photo(s)
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
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One of my favorite times with my mom was going on a Disney cruise. It was very exciting! We were on a big boat and we got to see Mickey Mouse on the boat AND on the beach. I got to swim in the ocean, and Mom ran out of the water when we saw a stingray. We had so much fun!
(And I am Mickey Mouse!)
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Robin posted a condolence
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
I think my strongest memories of Mom come from my early childhood, which isn’t surprising, but they become radically different when viewed as an adult. For instance:
• Mom was fearless. Our first great adventure was when at the age of twenty-five, she packs up her three kids and embarks on a 24-hour trip to South Vietnam to be with our Dad. It was all exciting and great fun to move to another country as a child. When you look at it as an adult and realize that she was moving her whole family to strange country where she doesn’t know the language or customs, AND they are in the middle of a war, it becomes very impressive. Yet, not only does she do that, but she finds a way to thrive in that environment. She learns how to overcome the language barriers, navigate the local bureaucracy and graft, deal with the lack of US doctors and schools for her kids, and find a way to get them to not only try but come to love the local French and Vietnamese cuisines. What she did, when she did it, is way beyond what most reasonable adults would even think of trying, but because she did, all of her children had an amazing childhood and learned things that continue to benefit them as adults.
• Mom was “glue”. For as long as I can remember, anything and everything we did as a family pretty much revolved around Mom. Not only was she the Matriarch of the clan, but once you became part of it, you were just extended family, regardless of who you were. Friday night? Totino’s pizza? Sure, Robin, you can invite all your teenage friends. Looking back, I can’t image how she could afford that, let alone spend the time to cook a dozen little pizzas. Holidays? Even crazier. If she was hosting Thanksgiving, there were not enough tables to fit everyone who would attend, and yet she made it work. As an adult, I know what it takes to do that, and I can’t help but be impressed. Even as we got older and started living our lives, none of that ever changed. Friday night dinner at Mom’s house was a constant, and no one was ever turned away. Of course, good luck getting a word in edgewise between a dozen people and four or five pets!
• Mom was giving. Regardless of her own situation, she went out of her way to try and take care of everyone in her “family” – direct or extended. I am sure that part of that mentality is why she became a case worker. Even when she could do anything directly, she would try to find someone else who could help do whatever was needed. It was only later in my life when I realized that I learned that behavior and replicated it in my professional life. Nothing is more important that taking care of your team, even when they make you crazy! Do that, and everything else will work out.
Mom may be gone, but these are traits that will live on forever in her children and hopefully, some of the people that got to know her. I can guarantee you that no matter what, when her children or friends get together, there will be no end to the “remember when?” stories. That’s a legacy worth having.
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The family of Charlene Agnes Green uploaded a photo
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
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