This week 14 years ago Mike's mom left us. It is so hard to believe that it has been that long. I think about all that has happened in that time and think"where did it go?" My mother-in-law was the best. Classy, loving, caring and the best laugh ever. My mother-in-law was making a difference. She was the Regional Director for the Motherhood and Childcare Development at Memorial Hospital, she achieved all her college studies after the age of 40, she was an Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame teaching empowerment to young nursing students, she was a professional grant writer and she was working on a study about SIDS and about the affect of lead poisoning on children. In December of 1996 Jeanine was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, a Glioblastoma. The doctors performed surgery on Christmas Eve that year and told us she had 6 months to live, she survived 4 1/2 months and passed away April of the following year. I have always said that when I die God and I are going to lunch because I have alot of questions that I need to have answered. My mother-in-Law was all about education and, in the end, the cancer took her mind. I don't get it. I remember this story very fondly. When Mike and I first started dating his mom was asking him questions about me. She wanted to know where I went to school. Mike told her that I went to beauty school and her response was that "she is not right for you, you need someone that is college educated." Well that summer I was invited to go on the family vacation to Minnesota. While at the lake with them I offer to do her hair for her. I told her that it was silly to pay someone when I was happy to do it for nothing. Now Jeanine had gone to the same hairdresser for quite some time and they were roller setting her hair, which I always felt aged her. So when I did her hair I used a blow dryer and curling iron. She looked 10 years younger. I did her hair twice more that week. At that time she announced that she would like a standing 4:30 appointment every Friday and that she was going to write a note to her soon-to-be "former" hairdresser and let her know that there was now a hairdresser in the family. I then knew that I would be "ok" for Mike. I was known as the "Hair Wizard" Jeanine would have loved Hello Gorgeous! She would have been at every event and had every item of her clothing embroidered with the Hello Gorgeous! logo. She would have been all about this project. Jeanine's PhD dissertation was on "Empowerment". She had always talked about traveling in a Prevost and lecturing on this subject. And in some ways I feel like Mike and I have taken up her torch and are moving it forward, in her honor. Miss you Mom.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Best Mother-in-Law Ever! In Loving Memory of Dr. Jeanine Becker R.N., M.A., Ph.D
This week 14 years ago Mike's mom left us. It is so hard to believe that it has been that long. I think about all that has happened in that time and think"where did it go?" My mother-in-law was the best. Classy, loving, caring and the best laugh ever. My mother-in-law was making a difference. She was the Regional Director for the Motherhood and Childcare Development at Memorial Hospital, she achieved all her college studies after the age of 40, she was an Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame teaching empowerment to young nursing students, she was a professional grant writer and she was working on a study about SIDS and about the affect of lead poisoning on children. In December of 1996 Jeanine was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, a Glioblastoma. The doctors performed surgery on Christmas Eve that year and told us she had 6 months to live, she survived 4 1/2 months and passed away April of the following year. I have always said that when I die God and I are going to lunch because I have alot of questions that I need to have answered. My mother-in-Law was all about education and, in the end, the cancer took her mind. I don't get it. I remember this story very fondly. When Mike and I first started dating his mom was asking him questions about me. She wanted to know where I went to school. Mike told her that I went to beauty school and her response was that "she is not right for you, you need someone that is college educated." Well that summer I was invited to go on the family vacation to Minnesota. While at the lake with them I offer to do her hair for her. I told her that it was silly to pay someone when I was happy to do it for nothing. Now Jeanine had gone to the same hairdresser for quite some time and they were roller setting her hair, which I always felt aged her. So when I did her hair I used a blow dryer and curling iron. She looked 10 years younger. I did her hair twice more that week. At that time she announced that she would like a standing 4:30 appointment every Friday and that she was going to write a note to her soon-to-be "former" hairdresser and let her know that there was now a hairdresser in the family. I then knew that I would be "ok" for Mike. I was known as the "Hair Wizard" Jeanine would have loved Hello Gorgeous! She would have been at every event and had every item of her clothing embroidered with the Hello Gorgeous! logo. She would have been all about this project. Jeanine's PhD dissertation was on "Empowerment". She had always talked about traveling in a Prevost and lecturing on this subject. And in some ways I feel like Mike and I have taken up her torch and are moving it forward, in her honor. Miss you Mom.
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