This is a jolly photo of Mom and Judie Curtis, from December of 2017. Judie adores Mom, and Mom adores Judie. They both happen to adore me for some odd unknown reason, so they were pleased to wear a couple of Christmas Ties o’ the Day for this photo—just because I asked them to do it.
We joke that Judie is Mom’s favorite daughter. She checks in with Mom on the phone regularly, visiting her when she gets to Delta. Almost every time I call Mom, she’ll say something like, “I just talked to my friend, Judie!” or “My friend, Judie, was just here!” Judie has been a blessing to Mom for years, which automatically makes her a blessing to me.
Not only do I have my mother’s name for my first name, but my middle name—the name by which my family and most of Delta knows me—is Judie’s mother’s name: Eileen. Judie’s mom was the nurse who took care of Mom in the hospital when I was born. It was a difficult birth, and Mom came near to dying. Mom showed her gratitude for the tender nursing care she received by giving me Eileen’s name. Likewise, Dad showed his gratitude for my successful birth by also giving me Mom’s name—at the very last minute, in my naming blessing, unbeknownst to Mom herself until that very moment. That’s how I became Helen Eileen. And that’s when Judie became my real fake sista.
Go Judie! Go Helen! Go Eileen!