The Matriarch is Born!
I obviously wouldn’t be here without my mother. I also wouldn’t be the person I am today without her guidance, influence, love, and care.
Glyptis family: Mom sitting on left.
My mom stayed home to care for us, her mother, and sister before getting her nursing degree at age 40. Her nurturing personality served her well as a mom and nurse at Albany Med and Our Lady of Mercy Nursing Home.
I have warm, fun, and loving memories from childhood but also remember my mother’s feistiness and unequivocal voice.
When I was 5 years old, I fell from the monkey bars at school and cried out in pain. At 4’11”, my mom was a petite yet powerful presence like the goddess of her Greek heritage—Artemis.
She blasted into the office and said some choice words to the nurse who claimed my right leg wasn’t broken. My mom knew just by looking at it. I can still feel my mother picking me up and telling the nurse that she was wrong.
Lifting me up, holding on, forging my foundation in family.
When we lived in Long Island, I was often bullied in elementary school. One day, my brother and I ran the few blocks from California Avenue School to our home on Braxton Street being chased by a large tough kid.
Suddenly there was our mom slamming both feet on her brakes and launching out of her car like a winged dragon protecting her young. Another few choice words and a big wave of her fist had that bully running the other way.
Even when she worked, my mom cared for four children, our home, and our dad. When my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer, his third bout over 13 years, my mom cared for him with a diligence and steadfastness that love built.
Mom and Dad at my older sister’s wedding. 1988
She held our family afloat.
When Nick was diagnosed with cancer, my mom became my anchor. She always visited us in the hospital and at home. I didn’t have to ask—she knew what I needed because her experience with my dad taught her how to be a supportive, larger rock for me. I learned from my mom that you can’t take the pain away but you can provide a cushion, a raft of reassurance.
The matriarch with her children! 2022
She has been the raft of my lifetime and I couldn’t love her more.