Muted greetings and sad salutations from a grieving Bubbe, for today, I have lost my Mah Jongg Mom.
Those of you who follow my Bubbe Facebook page may know that I have written a book about my actual mother, Ellen. I lost her in October of 2023, and my mother-in-law, Sue, passed away a scant 12 days later. It was a hellish time, but I got through it by working on the book.
Another thing that helped me get through was my contact with Sharon, a woman I’d played mahj with for almost ten years before COVID. My group disbanded in late Winter, 2020, because most of the ladies were in their 70’s or 80’s and either moved away or were very carefully quarantined, as they were susceptible to illness. Sharon had some very serious medical complications, but I was able to visit her in her home if I tested and masked.
We had met on a synagogue tour of Israel back in 2006, but didn’t truly connect until the early 2010’s when we were part of that mah jongg group. I joined first, but when Sharon arrived, we had an instantaneous bond. Sharon was the one whose eyes would meet mine when someone else at the table was being indecisive, or said something ridiculous. We’d quietly note the moment and just shake our heads. She always seemed to be on my wavelength.
Most significantly, there would be times during the Charleston that Sharon would surreptitiously pass me good tiles. I mean, everyone who reads my articles knows that I’m a sucker for a Soap; Sharon would very generously pass them, or maybe an occasional Flower. She kept a straight face while doing this, but I knew that she was rooting for me; she took almost as much joy in my wins as her own. Who else but a Mah Jongg Mom would do that?
I think our COVID-era visits kept both of us
sane to have a normal conversation about our families, politics, literature,
ANYTHING, even in the midst of the lockdown. Her condition and treatment had
its ups and downs, but in the past year I was thrilled to see her in person
both at her home and actually up and around in public a couple of times. Today,
her illness finally took its toll.
She leaves behind a very loving husband, three daughters, and five
grandchildren. Her memory will always be a blessing to them, and to me as well.
Bubbe
