My mother told the greatest stories. She was so animated as we would be rolling on the floor listening to the misadventures of her youth. She could be incredibly silly, break out in tiny little character voices or be in great big full voice in song. She could also be incredibly firm and didn’t earn the nickname Big Rit’ for nothing.
Her heart and the random acts of kindness to people who had previously been strangers was as full as her prayer box – all intentions some of those same people would send along asking for her prayers. The rosary was said on her Mothers beads-very special beads that were called upon in times of great need. Those beads have now passed into my hands.
She was really talented. She could play the Hawaiian steel guitar in a way like no other, she would give any schooled event planner a run for their money and Rita Mobley was an original when it came to writing jingles. She could do wonders with ground beef and was so good at mixing up hand me down clothes years later we would marvel when looking at school pictures how a single shirt could seamlessly travel from sibling to sibling school year to school year and never quite look the same.
Today marks 3 years since she passed. Sometimes it seems like yesterday. Sometimes it seems a hundred years ago. I remember at her funeral mass while giving her eulogy saying growing up our house was always full-of laughter, of energy. I felt there should be a sign out front that said:
MOBLEY RESIDENCE, ENTERTAINMENT NIGHTLY, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK
I can tell you – it would have been worth the risk. We had a lot of fun – we have a lot of memories. When I look at my brother and my sisters, even my children or nieces and nephews…I see pieces of my mother and we all carry her with us still. In our hearts, in our minds, in our spirit and in the legacy she left us to carry on. Rita Marie Tanzi Mobley – May 22, 1938 – July 28, 2009. My mother had a lot of DASH between those years.
Don’t waste a moment. Make the most of everything you’ve got-because someday it might be the only thing, the most important thing, someone has to remember you by.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Day #1 is in the can. Day #2 is not far behind. Tori is participating in Phase II of a Restoration of Consciousness Drug Trial. She was accepted into the study in February and completed Phase I, Caregiver Observation in April.
Each Phase is based on two days of observation after the administration of a drug. One day you are given a live agent and one day you are given a placebo. Only the Institution of Record is aware which is the actual drug. The belief is that only a small % of the population responds or awakens under this drug. Apparently the belief is Tori did or we would not have been invited to Phase II, Clinician Observation.
Braintree Hospital is a participating institution through Boston University. Should Tori “pass” this Phase as well, we will move on to the University of Philadelphia or Weill Cornell Medical College for further study. It was a long day and sometimes grueling but as always she was a trooper.
Life as you know it can change in a moment. We have searched far and wide, done our homework, turned over every stone and looked underneath, made sure that first we did no harm – we are ready for a change in a new direction. As Tori would always say when staring into the eye of a certain competitor…..Bring it!
Monday, March 26, 2012
3.26.03…today marks 9 years since life as we knew it changed forever…in honor of Tori, her indomitable spirit and an effort to continue to help her make a change in the world please take the Winds of Change pledge or vist and like the Tori Lynn Andreozzi Facebook page.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Sitting bedside with my daughter, my eyes gravitate to a shelf near her bed. It houses a card given to her by a wonderful woman. Inside the card is filled with words of inspiration. Outside, there is just one word. Believe.
And in these quiet moments, I sit, I read and I declare. I believe that with life there is hope. I believe that all things are possible and that God answers all prayers. I believe that life is not fair, nor that it was ever intended to be. I believe a touch, a word, a glance can transform and I believe one person can make a difference. Blessings to all who have.
Friday, December 09, 2011
On my mother’s last Christmas she and my father gave Tori the most incredible gift. It was a letter that detailed a month long list of acts of kindness and donations, all Tori’s favorites, and all made in her name. St Jude’s Hospital, animal shelters, Salvation Army buckets, trips to Benny’s to buy Toys for Tots, adopted families and food banks all received gifts in her name. And, a hard working unsuspecting Stop n Shop clerk was given a bouquet of flowers. So easy to see where Tori got her generous spirit. Tis the season of giving. Merry Christmas to all.
Monday, November 14, 2011
While all brain injuries are not created equal all people are. Hopefully one day the necessary intensive, aggressive therapy will be available to all to improve their chances of recovery.
Mark and Gabby Kelly are incredible examples of what the power of love and persistence, coupled with medical and divine intervention can accomplish. They are a beacon of hope.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A very emotional day has come to a close. Tears outweighed the smiles as I reflected on how different things could and should have been but for the choice of one. Choices we make as individuals have far reaching consequences so far beyond ourselves. Our choice is to treasure each moment and be grateful for all of our blessings. Blessings which include so many loving and caring friends and family.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
We had an unsettling experience at Ann & Hope today. Shoppers couldn’t create enough distance and the divide was palpable as we struggled through. Outside, I turned to look at my daughter-eyes closed, faced turned to the sun absorbing its warmth, a cheshire cat grin on her face, the fatigue and frustration melted away. I was filled with the beauty of the day and the girl. Moral of the story-DO NOT let the moments that don’t matter linger and remember to let the moments that matter last.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
While gathering reading and writing materials for distraction over the next few days, I came upon a journal entry. As I read the words written almost 8 years ago I could still feel the same intense emotion. The entry speaks to friendship, acceptance and hope. Something relevant through all time.
Day 208
October 19th
We have a standing appointment on Sundays. At 10AM on the second floor of the hospital, something wonderful happens in the playroom. A small, devoted group begins to gather and sit and anticipate. Long before Tori and I became a part of this group, we were aware of their presence. Our first knowledge of their existence came in the form of a joyful noise that filled the corridor. It was the sound of children. A sound filled with innocence and with glory. These children don’t see the machines, the scars, or the tubes. They don’t notice the empty space inside a piece of clothing or the distant look in anothers eyes. All they see is a child. Total acceptance. Instant friendship. These special children come together on Sunday mornings and they sing. They sing of “My Forever Friend, my leave me never Friend”.
Along with the music from the accomplished pianist, there is the sound of small fingers running across the keys. An eager assistant or two await their opportunity in the wings. Sometimes even a toy xylophone plays in the background. Perfection is not priority with this group. And yet on second thought, it is perfection. It is a perfect, unconditional love. This is where the real healing begins. It begins with the children. Whatever circumstances have brought them here, and in many too many cases, whatever circumstances that leave them here, are forgotten. It is in the way they instinctively reach out to one another. “Makes no difference if you’re just a child like me, or a king upon a throne”. It is their unjaded outlook, their acceptance, and ability to deal with, or make due with, whatever circumstances come their way. “There are no exceptions, we all stand in line”. Regardless of what today may bring or be like, they know, tomorrow will be better. Their hearts are filled with the promise of tomorrow and with hope. “Through the darkest night, or rainbows end, my forever friend”.
The Webster dictionary says the definition of hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation, to desire with expectation of obtainment and, to expect with confidence. To me, hope is what sustains, what fuels. It is what makes it possible to face each day, each challenge. Emil Brunner said, “What oxygen is to the lungs, such is hope to the meaning of life”. Hope is truly what keeps me going. It allows me to breathe and feeds the rest of my body and soul. With life there is hope. And with each new day comes the anticipation, the expectation and the confidence that this just might be the one.
There have been so many coincidences throughout this journey. Most recently, as I was writing this entry, a friend who is so inspirational and intuitive gave me a gift. It was a small pin. And on the pin written across a rainbow, was a four letter-word. Hope. I treasure that pin. I have it. I wear it. I live it. It is an outward sign of the life preserver that keeps me afloat. And, coupled with the strength received through the love and support of all, I believe it.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Massachusetts State Trooper Ellen Engelhardt died Wednesday, June 1, 2011. For 22 years she served the state of Massachusetts proudly as one its first female troopers. For eight years she lived with the devastating afterrmath of a severe brain injury at the hands of a drunk driver.
At the time of the crash in July 2003 Tori and I were at the Fransiscan Childrens Rehabilitation Hospital in Brighton, MA and I followed her story closely.
News of her passing hits closely. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and please, please do all you can: spread the word, get involved-to keep drunk drivers off the road and all of our families safe.
