An Unconventional Eulogy for my Mom

“If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

R.I.P. to my dear mom. She passed away almost two weeks ago and the only writing I had done since then was to write her obituary. So much could be said about her, more than I could fit in that little blurb. An obituary isn’t meant to be all that personal or emotional, though. It doesn’t usually talk about the ‘lemons.’ Life had given her many ‘lemons’ throughout the years, but you would never know, by her cheerful and optimistic demeanor.

I used to go for walks with my mom and sometimes we’d spot a lemon tree in someone’s yard. If there were lemons within easy reach from the sidewalk, my mom could hardly resist going to pick one. I was a teenager at the time and I was embarrassed by this. I’d sigh and say, “I’ll meet you at the corner, mom,” as I walked ahead of her. In those moments, my mom was just an old lady stealing someone else’s fruit. Now I look back on that quirk of hers and chuckle. She didn’t wait for life to give her lemons; she was prepared to just seize them when the opportunity presented itself!

Thank you mom, for bringing me a sense of lightheartedness in a not-so-lighthearted world. I hope that even after your passing, you continue to help me see things in a different light when the going gets rough.