They’re family whether you know them or not.

My mom came to Florida to visit. This was a bigger deal than you can imagine. She didn’t really want to come. Oh, its not that she doesn’t love me or anything but rather that she’s always disliked Florida. The older she gets, the greater the dislike. I think she thought for a minute that there was a scheme or ruse afoot. Maybe she would get here and we would kidnap her, drive her to Miami Beach and leave her there to fend for herself. When asked why she didn’t like Miami she said “there are too many old people there.” Now who can argue with that?

But visit she did, whether by choice or coercion I got her here. I flew down with her which was nice for both of us. We finally decided that she hadn’t been on an airplane since about 1993. When I first asked her when she last flew, she told me the 1950s. An you all wonder where I got my flair for the dramatic?! Anyway... After my stay in DC for the reopening of Ford’s Theatre, I went to Philadelphia and we came down together on Monday. Mom agreed to get wheelchair assistance – not because she couldn’t make it on her own, but because that way we could conserve her energy for more fun stuff. Wow, that wheelchair thing is a good deal. I want it! They meet you right at the counter and whisk you through from there. You cut right to the front of the security line, no one rushes you or is breathing down your neck to get your shoes on, get your stuff and keep moving. After we got through security in Philly, Mom turns to me and says “that wasn’t so bad, why does everyone complain?” Oh, if she only knew how the other half lives.... On both legs we were very early since you cut so much time out of the whole process. Keep that in mind if you are using that “service.”

Anyway we get to Miami and we were met by an entire welcoming committee! Nancy, Janet and Patricia had all piled into the car to meet us. Nancy told me later that everyone wanted to show Mom that I was loved and well taken care of down here. They are very sweet and do take good care of me.

I can’t say that we had too much excitement but we toured around, drove through the old and very cool parts of Coconut Grove, ate breakfast on my balcony every morning and just had a lovely laid back visit. One of the highlights was a visit with a cousin named Gerri Hoffman. Gerri’s father Isadore and my father’s father Jack, were brothers. Its a side of the family I know next to nothing about. Why you might wonder? Oh, let’s just say my dad was a storyteller but only the stories he found interesting. Clearly he “just wasn’t that into” his family or we might know more. That is Mom and Gerri to the right.

Jack, married to Granny Rose, who we did know, died when my dad was in his 20s. turns out that Jack had a number of siblings. Here they are in what we think is the right order:

Fanny, Isadore, Elizabeth, Hyman, Jack, Zelig and Max

For pete’s sake this means there should be just tons of cousins out there! Isadore was father to Gerri and her two siblings. As we were talking, Gerri was funny about Uncle Jack and her cousin Dick. When I started asking questions and said my dad never talked about this stuff, she asked me if I ever asked. At first I was put off and feeling kind of bad... wow, was it all there just for the asking? but them my senses came back and I knew, no, not it wasn’t. I asked her last time she saw and actually talked to my dad. Somehow he didn’t end up the way she remembered him starting out. But I digress.

On a different day we went to the beach. I thought it important that Mom put her toes in the water on what would be a very cold day in February in Philadelphia. So we did. On the left below is Mom arriving on South Beach. On the right is her reaction to the water. It was a tad cold for her. There were tons of people in the water but there were probably tourist hell bent on being in the ocean. I dunno... if I had my bathing suit, I probably could have been persuaded....

And finally...

She's happily settled in her chair, toes in the sand.

On a different night, Chef Ellie made dinner. I found out tonight that she made the whole dinner without salt, in honor of Mom.

That was nice. She's such a good kid. Here's Mom with Patricia. And yes, we ate dinner outside by the pool. Life is good in Miami! Here's the chef, Ellie, to the left (holding candle) with her friend Claudia.

All in all...we toddled through Coconut Grove, we cruised through Miami Beach, we watched The View and we hung out.

Life is good.

Spending a week with just me and Mom was fun. I'm glad she came and got to see where I'm living and who I hang with. I know she feels I'm far away... hopefully this helped just a little. Now I know where she is and she knows where I am. That's only fair.

So no matter if its family that you love more than life itself... or someone new you just learn about like long lost great aunts and uncles. Family is what we've got whether we know them or not. I think I'll keep mine. After all, I've finally got them all broken in all...