3 Comments

1. 

   Larry Newman on November 3, 2025 at 2:31 pm

   Mom
   Many words come to mind
   When I think of my mother, complex yet kind.
   Not easily summed, nor neatly defined,
   A puzzle of humor, conviction, and grace,
   Whose contradictions time can’t erase.
   She was, in truth, an enigma rare,
   A puzzle wrapped in love and flair.
   Small in stature, five foot two (in heels),
   Yet mighty in the strength she revealed.
   Opinions flowed both day and night,
   Solicited or not, she knew she was right.
   Her moral compass never bent,
   She fought injustice wherever it went.
   She took on landlords, loud and bold,
   And fought for doormen, truth be told.
   She campaigned hard, with zeal to spare,
   Her sense of justice always there.
   Yet when I was in grade school, overwhelmed indeed,
   She came to the rescue with lightning speed.
   Entire chapters, calm and steady,
   Copied from the World Book, ever ready.
   Academic honesty took a rest;
   For love—and grades—she thought it best.
   She adored her sons, her heart’s delight,
   And four grandkids, her joy and light.
   But her circle of “grandchildren” grew and grew,
   For anyone loved was family too.
   And though she longed for one more role,
   To meet her great-grandson, heart and soul,

   Time, alas, ran out too soon;
   She felt him kick, her eyes grew bright,
   And joy filled the room that night.
   And though she couldn’t voice her claim,
   We all knew she had thoughts on his name.
   She urged on others, quite sincerely,
   “See your doctor, check that yearly.”
   She’d call to ask, then call again,
   So best not to say you were sick back then.
   Preventive health she praised each day,
   Yet rarely practiced it her way.
   The dentist’s chair she never saw;
   Perhaps I now know why—new family lore.
   She was fierce, she was funny, she was gloriously flawed,
   She argued, she loved, she lectured, she awed.
   She lived by conviction, by humor, by heart,
   A singular soul, a world set apart.
   And when the news came, her final test,
   She met it head-on, with quiet zest.
   She said she was a realist through and through,
   Though she was the only one who believed it was true.
   Through all her strength, her laughter, her grace,
   She left her mark none can replace.
   Rest now, Mom, your work is done;
   Your love lives on in everyone.

   Reply
2. 

   Olivia Newman on November 11, 2025 at 10:54 pm

   When I think about Grandma Ellie, the first word that comes to my mind is love.

   Cayla and I always said that no one in the world would ever love us like Grandma did. It was truly unwavering. We could do anything- tip her salt shaker, break her vase, break her trash can – all of which I did, by the way – and she’d still think we were absolutely perfect.
   Grandma told us how much she loved us constantly, but her actions conveyed it more than words ever could. She sent me a letter nearly every day while I was at camp. She came to every sporting event, concert, graduation; you name it, she was there. She saved every single one of my poems. Whenever Cayla and I rode in the car with her and Grandpa, Grandma would always sit in the back seat with us. Not because we asked her to; she just loved us that much, that she would literally sit squished between the two of us in the backseat of a car because she wanted to be as close as possible. I don’t know if I can convey in words how lucky I feel to have been loved so deeply by someone. It’s incredibly rare, and I am just so fortunate to have experienced it.

   Grandma’s love also went beyond her grandchildren and her family. She poured it into her passions: women’s empowerment, politics, equality, democracy. Her love made her a strong, determined, and fierce advocate for these passions, and an inspiration to those around her. She was frequently approached to run for her building’s board, she fundraised for Ukrainian refugees, and she was a staunch supporter of peaceful protest. Grandma’s unflinching dedication to her values, strong moral compass, and compassion for others has long inspired me to fight for what I believe in.

   Not only did Grandma love others, but others loved her. My friends, my cousins, anyone that met her remarked on how kind, intelligent, and compassionate she was. Honestly, all you really needed to see to know how deeply Grandma was loved was how many people were there to visit her at Villa Marie Claire. We could barely fit in the room during those first two days. I truly hope Grandma knew how others felt about her, and how much she impacted people’s lives, even if they weren’t related or only met a few times.

   This incredible love is one of the things that makes it so difficult to say goodbye to Grandma. What do we do with all of this love in our hearts for her? What happens to all of the love she had for us?

   When I think about these questions, a meditation that is often read before Kaddish comes to mind. It’s called Epitaph, by Merritt Malloy, and it goes like this:

   “When I die
   Give what’s left of me away
   To children
   And old men that wait to die.

   And if you need to cry,
   Cry for your brother
   Walking the street beside you.
   And when you need me,
   Put your arms
   Around anyone
   And give them
   What you need to give to me.

   I want to leave you something,
   Something better
   Than words
   Or sounds.

   Look for me
   In the people I’ve known
   Or loved,
   And if you cannot give me away,
   At least let me live on in your eyes
   And not your mind.

   You can love me most
   By letting
   Hands touch hands,
   And by letting go
   Of children
   That need to be free.

   Love doesn’t die,
   People do.
   So, when all that’s left of me
   Is love,
   Give me away.”

   Grandma left us with so much love. And while I’m much too selfish to give it all away, I’ll do my best to share some of it. To keep her memory alive.

   I love you, Grandma. And I know how much you loved us too.

   Reply
3. 

   Cayla on November 12, 2025 at 12:09 am

   There’s a tiktok trend going around right now where people show funny text messages from their parents and grandparents. Naturally, I looked through my many texts with Grandma Ellie, looking for one of her crazy siri-generated text messages that has never failed to make me laugh. I found some of those, but I also found this text. It says: “That is the most fantastic news Cayla I always knew you could do it. I’m the proudest grandmother alive, love you to pieces, keep up the good work.” The crazy thing about that text is I have no idea what it was about. It was from about a year ago, so you would think something that evoked a response like that should be something I would remember. I have no clue.
   But Grandma responded like that to so many things I did, whether it was getting into college and doing well in classes or going to a friend’s house on a Friday night. No matter what I did, no matter how big or small, that was her reaction. There was never a second of doubt in my mind about how much she loved me, or how proud she was of me. She was always my biggest supporter in life, cheering me on from no matter where she was. And sometimes that took commitment. None of us are really sure how the woman who could not work GPS or find the home screen on her iPhone was able to consistently stream Lehigh football games, but grandma found a way. Or how she couldn’t figure out amazon, but texted me telling me the dates my MCAT scores were expected to be released. If something was important to me, grandma found a way to have my back.
   If anyone even had a 30 second conversation with Grandma Ellie, they knew how incredibly intelligent she was. I hope she knew how proud I was whenever I got to talk about her to others. She never stopped reading, having thoughtful conversations with others, and keeping updated on the news. She was funny and could take whatever jokes were thrown at her, and always joked back with us. She could remember details I told her years back, even after I forgot. Even when her body started to get weaker, she continued to have the sharpest mind of anyone I have ever met.
   I already miss Grandma Ellie incredibly. I miss calling her between my classes, telling her about my new recipes, or sharing the new fashion trends with her. I miss hearing her yell “COMING” whenever I rang her doorbell, and even having her stare at me while I attempted to eat the meal she made for just me that could serve a family of five. She was a caring person, a great listener, and a down to earth, good person. And she was an amazing grandma. She played with me endlessly growing up, never complaining and never letting me even think that she didn’t enjoy playing dog for hours on end. She swam with me in the pool for hours, took me to pet stores, made me my favorite meals, and had so much patience. Grandma was such a huge presence in my life, and I’m so grateful for all the time I had with her. Grandma, I love you, and thank you for everything.

   Reply