Posted 1:25 AM by sport

Here's my Mom, before entering momhood, I think. She loved the big bands... was a member of the "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye" club. She is laughing on a Brooklyn rooftop, full of joy and hope and love. Despite what life has done to her since then, she still embodies all three of these rare graces. Everything good that I know about life, everything real, lived -- and lives -- in that holy smile. Helen Rose Sayers, blushing bride of Seamus Murphy, a recent immigrant from Holy Ireland.

Some years later, living in Florida. By this time she has three children, Maureen, Brian and Robert. Seamus is in the army and the family is together only occasionally.

Eventually, once his military career is nearing its conclusion they'll decide to have one more kid.








And there they are, Bobby, Mimi and Brian, attempting to drown the new kid, Michael. This is in Texas, where Seamus is stationed. Here he meets Elvis Presley, in Fort Hood for basic training. Many years later, I'll ask Mom and Dad if they ever brought baby Mike to meet "the King" ...I of course, imagined some scenario whereby Elvis picked me up and bestowed his imprimatur upon me. My folks said "no." Folks, LIE to your kids. For cryin' out loud, would it have killed them?

And there's Mom clowning around out the "utility room" door leading to our backyard at 606 17th St, Brooklyn NY. That is the place of my yearnings and fondest memories; apart from the home I now share with my own wife and kids, this was HOME. The reason I cry over Stephen Foster songs is the aching loss of that ideal life in that ideal place, which he relentlessly evoked in his songs.

Look at it, though... not much. But look at HER. Everything good and everything safe. Laughter and life abundant. That's why.


Could there ever be anyone or anything so true and sustaining?





YES!

Shelley Handler, soon to be blushing bride of Mike "Sport" Murphy, in a pic taken well before our nuptials made her a Murphy, god help her. Often when I'm hanging out with Mom and she gets a little morbid about the approaching inevitable, she tells me that one thing she's very happy about is that I found Shelley.


Of course Shelley's a Mother as well, not only to our Lily and Miles, of whom I think I've showed you a picture or two, but Alex, my magnificent stepson.


We have a pretty nice life, the five of us. And just as Helen Rose held things together back then, my Shelley does now. Everything good here and now and ahead is thanks to this woman. And I know it because I've known it before.