My regular column won’t appear today: I’m traveling back from my Mom’s funeral. Elvera Raimondo was a real character: strong and independent long before the Women’s Lib movement, holder of multiple jobs that enabled me to get out of the rotten public school system (after I’d been thrown out) and attend private schools, and a very strong-willed woman. She was defiant and strong right up to the end, staring Old Death right in the face and refusing to be intimidated, by either the nurses or the prospect of eternity.
She always encouraged me in my desire to be a writer: every Sunday, after church, she took me to the dime store and bought me as many paperback books (they were 50 cents back then!) as I wanted. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye – I inherited her independent streak – but she respected my views, and I hers.
Here’s lookin’ at ya, Mom…
