Flying on Jess Fuel

Fueling my Navy pilot, one meal at a time...

Navigation
  • Home
  • A little about us…
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • Gardening

In Memory

April 15, 2014 by jessfuel 19 Comments

I should have written this post a month and a half ago, but it’s taken me a long, long time to find the courage and the words.

On February 18, my mom, Joanne, passed away. It wasn’t completely unexpected, but it was still much too soon.

Mom4

I’m never quite sure how personal to get here on the ole blog. I love sharing our adventures with the world, but when it comes to sad times and personal struggles, I try to keep those more private. I wasn’t sure I was going to post anything at all about my mom, but as I continued blogging throughout the past month and a half, I’ve started feeling like an imposter, just going on as if everything is fine and dandy.

Nick and I have done a few fun weekend trips in the last couple months that I’ve meant to share, but kept putting off until I wrote this post. I’ve been avoiding the blog more and more, so I decided it was finally time to just put it out there.

My mom was a great lady and was loved dearly by many, many people. Judging by the turnout at her services, even more than I could have imagined. She always had a smile on her face and touched many lives.

I like to think I have my mom’s cheerful outlook on life, but I also inherited many of my hobbies from her.

Did you know my mom graduated from culinary school?

Mom3

And she worked with and around food for as long as I can remember. When I was in high school, she worked for a food broker and my friends always thought of her as the food lady. She’d send us off on beach weekends, ski trips and to parties with huge boxes of all the delicious foods she sold. We were always well fed!

My mom also loved to run. I guess I was destined to love it, too. While our running careers only overlapped for a little while, we did do a couple races together. But we may have done a few more together back in the day, when I was happy to be pushed along.

Tufts 10K

And maybe, just maybe, I’ve figured out where the cat lady in me came from…

Mom2

Love you, Mom. Miss you more and more every day.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Print
  • Reddit

Filed Under: Other Stuff

« Salted Caramel Browned Butter Cookies
Orange Sage Beer Biscuits »

Comments

  1. Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies says

    April 15, 2014 at 9:03 am

    I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. It’s is such a painful thing to go through to lose a parent. My father passed away last year on Feb 12th after a 2 1/2 year battle with cancer. I took me a long time to even write on my blog about it. Like you, I was hesitant to share because I don’t like to get very personal on my blog. I don’t even like to show others around me just how painful my father’s passing was for me to deal with. For me, grieving was very personal and private.

    After reading your post I can see you and your mom had a wonderful relationship and that is something to be so grateful for. All those wonderful memories are what makes it easier as time goes by….and then we realize just how truly blessed we were to have such a wonderful parent. My prayers are with you and your family.

    Reply
    • jessfuel says

      April 15, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Thanks for your kind words, Asiya. It’s helpful to know I’m not the only one feeling this way ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Jillian-News Anchor To Homemaker says

    April 15, 2014 at 9:22 am

    I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s very brave of you to write about her. What wonderful pictures and memories you’ve shared.

    Reply
    • jessfuel says

      April 15, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • john logiudice says

        April 24, 2014 at 4:16 pm

        Beautiful post Jess, Joanne is missed every day. May time be good to you.

        Reply
  3. John Adams says

    April 15, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    My deepest condolences to you and your family, Jess. Losing a parent is so tough, brings one’s own mortality to the forefront.

    Reply
  4. Kathy says

    April 15, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    Jess, this is a big step in healing from the pain of her death. Your memories, and sharing them with people who care about you… and your blog readers do…help to keep your mom with you. I find when I miss my mom the most it’s wonderful to share a special memory with my friends. I love reading your blog…and I’m looking forward to your adventures!

    Reply
  5. Dad says

    April 15, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Nicely said. Wish I could give you a hug. Love you, Dad.

    Reply
  6. SuzanneU says

    April 15, 2014 at 5:53 pm

    Oh my….I am so sorry seems so tiny to say but my goodness I certainly am!! I love, love your food blog and I understand keeping it foodie. I read every post and care about every post. I understand about keeping certain things close to the vest. Please know that when you open the vest a warm breeze will warm your skin. Your followers love you. My deepest sympathy.

    Reply
  7. Kim Callanan says

    April 15, 2014 at 8:03 pm

    You are beautiful just like her, this is very beautifully written .
    Kim

    Reply
  8. Jaki says

    April 15, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    Well put. I think about her everyday. <3

    Reply
  9. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says

    April 16, 2014 at 11:59 am

    I am so sorry for your loss Jess. Your mother seemed like a beautiful woman, inside and out. I hope you find comfort in this difficult time. Thanks for sharing. Hugs to you friend.

    Reply
  10. Marian says

    April 16, 2014 at 1:50 pm

    Jess: My heart is so sad on reading about the loss of your mom. I lost my mom 9 years ago and I still miss her so much. My thoughts and prayers are with you and God will help you through this difficult time.

    Reply
  11. Auntie Carol says

    April 16, 2014 at 2:21 pm

    Your mom would be very proud of you! We all miss her and I am sending you a big hug and kiss!!

    Reply
  12. Kathy says

    April 16, 2014 at 4:51 pm

    Jess, I’m so very sorry to hear of your loss. What a loving post you did here on your blog – great photos. (My DH worked for a food broker for a good many years, until the company was sold – I can relate to the excitement you felt when Mom came home from a food show and filled the kitchen table with great treats! She will always be in your heart.

    Reply
  13. Amy says

    April 18, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    Jess, first let me say that I’m so sorry for your lost. There is little that words can do to soothe you right now, I’m sure, but know that I’m out here saying a prayer for you and sending a virtual hug.

    Thank you so much for sharing these pictures with us. You and your mom look so much alike! I’m sure that’s only the tip of the iceberg of things that you inherited from her as she sounds like quite a lady.

    Reply
    • jessfuel says

      April 21, 2014 at 2:58 pm

      Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Orange Sage Beer Biscuits | Flying on Jess Fuel says:
    April 17, 2014 at 7:32 am

    […] Thursday!! Thank you all for your support on Tuesday’s post. Your comments meant a lot to me. Hopefully after getting that off my chest, I’ll stop […]

    Reply
  2. A New Chapter | Flying on Jess Fuel says:
    January 17, 2015 at 4:30 pm

    […] the beginning of the year, my Mom passed away. Her funeral was on my 30th birthday. And I battled some pretty intense anxiety and panic attacks […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Fueling my Navy Pilot, one meal at a time…

Welcome to Flying on Jess Fuel! I love to cook and share my recipes and adventures in the kitchen with everyone. Take a look around... you might just find tonight's dinner!

Search Flying on Jess Fuel

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Flying on Jess Fuel and receive notifications of new posts by email.

ABOUT JESS

Jess is home cook, foodie and proud Navy wife. She grew up in Boston and now lives on the West Coast. She loves to blog, travel, read and write. When she's not working or blogging, she can be found running or relaxing with a glass of wine. Read Moreโ€ฆ

Check out these healthy recipes!

Dilly Cucumber Bites
Kale and Black Bean Enchiladas with Avocado Cream and Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Vegan)
Banana Almond Chia Seed Pudding

*Click Here* to read Flying on Jess Fuel’s Privacy Policy.
This site contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through them, we will receive a small commission.

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Child Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress