(Scroll down for Tribute to Mom)

Due Date: Father's Day, Sunday, June 15- "Daddy's Girl." A counterpart to our "Tribute to Mom." See above for details. As always, there is a lot of flexibility in these assignments. If, for whatever reason, you have a problem with this assignment you could do an alternative. For example, you could write about what makes your husband such a wonderful father.

My father died the summer before I turned sixteen. Although he was there for all of those years, I feel as though I hardly knew him. I mentioned the other day about attending a wedding and crying as I watched the bride dance that special last dance with her father as they both had tears streaming down their cheeks. My dad wasn't at my wedding and I didn't have him to walk me down the aisle. That is something I truly miss in my life. I miss that he didn't see me graduate from UCLA. I miss that he never got to meet Justin and Jessica and see them grow up. I miss that he wasn't there to retire and grow old with my mother and I'm sorry that she had to live for thirty-five years without him. My dad was only 54 years old when he died. He was fine one day and then went to sleep and never woke up. It's hard to adjust to such a sudden loss. It seems like I should have a better feel for who my father was since I wasn't a small child but it seems that the only memories I have are the ones that are captured in faded black and white photos. While looking through them the other day I pointed out to Jeff how funny it was that in every photo my father is dressed in a suit. He always was dressed up- even on weekends at home. We have photos of him at Yosemite on vacation, at the beach... always in a suit! Things were a lot different back in the 50's. Dad's were more removed from the child-rearing process. My dad had his job and it was my mom's job to take care of me. I think that helped me adjust to his sudden loss. I can't imagine how I would've felt if it had been my mother who died and left me. I am so grateful that things have changed and dads are more involved with their children. My daughter Jessica adores her dad and I know there'll be big tears from both of them at their last dance. If you'd like to see a special "Father's Day" tribute to my father-in-law George and my husband Jeff, click here. Here's a couple of those faded photos of my family.

Pretending to lecture me

Thanks to Heather for having this report card made


Thanks MaryAnn for this award!

Due Date: Mother's Day, Sunday, May 11th- "Tribute to Mom."
In keeping with my effort for your homework assignments to become a meaningful part of your website, I'd like this next assignment to be all about your mom or someone special who is like a mother to you. See if you can find a photo to include. Maybe a current one or maybe one when your mother was young. What you write is up to you: maybe a favorite childhood memory of your mom, maybe just what makes her so special to you. I'm guessing this will be another assignment where we will need to keep our Kleenex nearby.

~ Anita Evelyn Friar ~
January 25, 1911- March 6, 2001

My mother was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to her Swedish parents, Anton and Anna Julian. I'm sure this picture of her was taken some time in the "Roaring Twenties." I was her only child and I did not come into her life until she was forty years old which in those days was quite old to be having your first child. I was her whole entire world and she adored me, spoiled me and made feel like the most special daughter in all the world. My childhood was truly like "The Wonder Years" with the devoted stay at home mom making sure my life was perfect. And it was idyllic until my father died when I was only sixteen years old (more about that in "Daddy's Girl) and then it was really "just the two of us!" But we made out fine and she was so proud of me when I earned scholarships to pay my way through UCLA. Enter Jeff and the "love story" you've now read about. This may surprise you but when we got married and moved to our new home, there was a private room and bath ready for my mom. She lived with us until the day she died a little over two years ago. She loved Jeff and he loved her and she got to watch her grandchildren grow and she worshipped them. We never had to worry about a babysitter because Nana was always there. She lived to be ninety years old but her spirit was kept forever young because of her close relationship with Justin and Jessica, the apples of her eye. Her last year was very difficult but we kept her at home with us until the very end when she took her last breath with Jeff holding one hand and I holding the other.

See Justin's Eulogy to Nana here. This was beautifully written and delivered by my son, Justin, at my mother's funeral. Trust me, there was not a dry eye in the church after this heartfelt speech was given. I don't know when I've been prouder.
See my Mother's Day page here. This is a tribute to both Jeff's mom, Audre and my mom, Anita.