I lost my mother almost two weeks ago.
She was an exceptional being on so many different levels.
She was a World War II survivor that witnessed some terrible things.
By the end of the war, she and her family found themselves in a displaced persons camp in post-Nazi Germany.
While working as a food server at the camp, she accidentally spilled hot coffee and burnt the hands of a young United States Army serviceman that would later become her husband.
When they married and eventually moved to America, my father made sure that his in-laws would be able to join them, sponsoring their citizenships.
As my father’s military career advanced, moving up in the ranks to become an officer in the newly formed Air Force, he was assigned to different locations around America and Europe, bringing his young wife and children along for the ride.
In the course of this union, English became my mother’s 4th and primary language.
After my father’s retirement, our family moved back to a modest home in California that was purchased during the 1950s.
My father found a new job as a bookmobile driver for a public library, and my mother later got a part-time job working 20 or so years in food service at a handful of high school cafeterias. Both of them also found time to attend college and pick up a few degrees.
My parents encouraged their children to pursue their passions, and each of us turned out to be very different with our own unique interests and careers.
As my mother explained to me in various ways, she wanted to make sure that her children were able to enjoy a childhood that she never had, as the war cheated her of that opportunity.
While my father might have considered himself the head of household, my mother was the actual person responsible for getting things done – paying all the bills, climbing up on the roof to clear the rain gutters, re-painting the house as needed, sending out birthday and anniversary cards to all the various relatives, and cooking meals as needed as well as maintaining a never-ending supply of delicious cookies.
My father died in 1989 from emphysema as a direct result of too many years of inhaling tobacco smoke.
After various ventures, including some interesting chapters in New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles, I moved back to the house to get a better handle on managing my overdrawn ambitions.
In 2011, my mom experienced a nasty fall that changed everything. While it wasn’t an immediate transformation, her once-crisp mental capabilities would no longer work as well as they used to, and a fractured hip would transform her outlook on life, eventually rendering her immobile.
Taking care of mom became a major priority. Moving her out of her home was to be avoided at all costs. I was fortunate that my line of work was flexible enough for me to fit in some decent assignments that could work within my schedule.
Now that she’s gone, there’s a lot of re-adjusting I need to do, and a lot of loose ends that I still need to take care of. It’s going to take some time to realize that she’s not going to be around anymore.
She was the most important teacher in my life, and the primary architect responsible for installing the values that made me the person that I am.
eternally grateful,
ERIC PREDOEHL
– producer / director of the long-awaited documentary of LOUIE LOUIE
P.S. On Facebook, I’ve started a little fundraiser on Facebook to raise money for one of my mom’s favorite charities – the Carter Center.
The Carter Center, a charitable organization created by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering.
The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. This organization has done some remarkable work in their disease eradication efforts, including a very successful campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease.
If you are inclined to contribute to this cause, I would be extremely grateful.
You can also bypass Facebook and make a direct donation to the Carter Center by either visiting their CarterCenter.org webpage or sending a check to their headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
If you could, please add the notation “In Memory of Regina Predoehl.”
_______________
REFERENCE LINKS:
This one’s for my Mom! – a benefit for The Carter Center!
https://www.facebook.com/donate/178300462788655/10156163611920960/
The Carter Center
https://www.cartercenter.org