Monday, April 6, 2009
It seems I’ve known Mrs. Daley forever. I first met her back in the early 70’s when I was just in junior high school. She quickly became my second mom and I loved her dearly. She always treated me like one of her own daughters. She was always nice and kind and ever so patient (she had to be with twin teenagers and me!). She was always full of wisdom and advice, but only if you asked for it first. She was deeply religious, but ever “forced” her religion on me. If ever I had any questions regarding it, she was more than happy to talk about it, but always knew when to stop. As a teenager, Mrs. Daley was one of the few people I ever looked up to and respected and I genuinely desired her respect and approval. That desire continued even as an adult. Mrs. Daley was one of the first people besides my own family that I introduced my future husband to. It was very important to me that she like him and when she winked and gave me the okay over his shoulder, I was so happy. When we got married, it was very important that she be at our wedding, too. She was, after all, my second mom. I feel honored that I knew Mrs. Daley and had the good fortune of her being part of my family for so long. Unfortunately, as I grew older, I saw her less and less, but whenever we did meet, it was like we had just seen each other the day before. I hadn’t seen her in several years and this is something I’ll always regret. She was always there for so many others and me in our times of need, I wish I could have been there for her, too. I just hope she knows how sorry I am that I wasn’t. I love you, Mrs. Daley, and I’m going to miss you dreadfully.
