Mom

 Molly Elaine Fleetwood Rodway, 6/5/1942 - 1/19/2021

Things I loved about mom.... (this is a tiny sample, the list is too long to ever type...)

* Her long flowing hair - she never had any sort of trendy hairdo, just a natural wavy mane, feminine and low-maintenance, she did not see hairdressers but always looked nice.

* Her beautiful sparkling green eyes

* Her infectious, free, enthusiastic laughter

* Her love for all animals, wild or tame, big or small, always attentive and curious and caring and always so gentle - no animal was ever punished in our home, only rewarded for good behavior.

* Her love and skill in cooking and baking - fresh healthy food every day. So many beautiful cookies at Christmas.

* Her musical training. Mom taught piano and also knew all the classics, and had wonderful taste. There was always music playing in the house, every day, and it was always high quality, from Beethoven or Copeland to John Williams or medieval dulcimer recordings, folk or jazz, she even let me play Tori Amos as a teen and loved it.

* Her endless generosity and support of her friends, especially anyone in need.

* Her funky style - she wore what she wanted, and always looked good if a little offbeat. Boho yuppie one might call it? She loved natural fibers and interesting patterns and colors and long flowing pieces. Always a skirt and blouse, rarely pants (unless she was working in the garden). For many years a pho-tiger striped cloak was her evening jacket - it was clearly not real but very visually striking, everyone always noticed when she entered a room. She would go out of her way to compliment a chef on a fine meal at a restaurant, and any spot she frequented she was beloved by the staff.

* Her beautiful garden - she was always trying new plants and growing something interesting. Herbs, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries were always in the mix. She rented a plot for herself and I when she took me out of school and let me plant whatever I wanted - my only goal was to feed the birds and bees, so I planted sunflowers, wildflowers, and millet, and it was such a delight to watch it all explode out of the earth in the spring. She tended to our roses, including a huge mini rose bush of the palest pink that always had an endless amount of blossoms every summer.

* Her appreciation of the beauty of nature. She could get lost in the silhouette of a tree or the shapes in the clouds, snow was especially breathtaking for her, any sort of snow. She knew the names of all of the trees and common plants and shrubs, something I still struggle with a ton and keep trying to catch up on.

* Her joyful celebration of any and all holidays, she found endless ways to make them fun.

* Her sewing and craftiness - she hand-made all of my Halloween costumes as a kid, and skating dresses for ice skating tests and competitions. They were the envy of all the other skaters - they were wonderful, always. She always did what I asked and then some. She even made me the most spectacular full Sylvester the Cat fursuit for the ice, for a duo Sylvester and Tweetie program I did with another skater, something I still own, 30+ years later.

* Her love of reading and learning - she was always reading books and eager to learn new things.

* Her hard work ethic and discipline - she worked so hard, long hours, never stopping, she never really stopped moving during the day until dinner time, when she would finally rest and let herself each rich foods and watch TV (usually OPB or romantic movies). She worked so hard at piano and was so extremely skilled and talented at that instrument. She was one of the very rare adults to pass her 10th Syllabus test, the highest possible, in Portland. She trained herself and practiced for it for hours and hours over the course of several years. It was so impressive. (She played all three movements of Moonlight Sonata for this test.)

* Her care and desire for me to feel loved. When I went away to graduate school, she sent me most thoughtful gifts. Beautiful clothing and jewelry, nice dishes for my little studio apartment kitchen, she helped pay for extra expenses sometimes even though she didn't have to.

* The way she kept contact and kept friendly with my dad after their divorce, including him in family gatherings when he was around, inviting him on trips when my step-dad couldn't go, including dad's new girlfriend in family events, and never making it feel out of ordinary or in any way strange. He was always welcome and always beloved.

* The way she shyly asked me if I would teach her how to ride a bike, in her 50s. She had never learned. She was so embarrassed. She wanted to try. She thought it might be a fun new way to get exercise. She learned! She did great! It only took a couple of weeks. She never took to biking regularly, but I was so proud of her for being brave enough to learn at that age.

* Her walking. She loved walking. She walked everywhere. She walked several miles every day, rain or shine. She did this even after she developed dementia and went into a care facility. It was what we did together every time I visited her, until the end. She would look around during every walk and always, every single time, no matter the day, find something beautiful in the experience, and exclaim, every time, "It's a beautiful day!"