Thinking of Mom!
As Mother’s Day approaches, I can’t help but think of that special relationship gay sons and mothers have while also thinking about the incredible bond a mother and daughter have. 17 years ago this May, I lost my mother to lung cancer, and I so wish she could see this incredible community we have created here in The Locher Room.
If you think about it, this community we have built started with her. My mother moved to the United States in 1958 and didn’t speak a word of English at the time. Upon her arrival, she moved in with my dad and his parents where she was introduced to As the World Turns and Guiding Light by my Oma (grandmother).
My mother learned to speak English watching these two shows. To say she introduced me to these shows might not be completely accurate, but they were a constant in her (our) lives. I would come home from school and immediately escape to Oakdale and Springfield. Before the VCR came along, I would catch whatever I could live after school and during those summer vacations. Once the VCR came along, I would tape both shows and there were many days when I would sit side by side with my mom to watch the escapades of the Hughes, Stewart, Snyder, Bauer, Spaulding and Lewis clans. There are moments I remember well – March 30th, 1981, when President Reagan was shot, and Guiding Light was interrupted. A few years later, Beth Raines was blinded in an explosion that Phillip Spaulding set in motion. I caught an article in the NY Daily News promoting this storyline and the NYC blind school the show had used to help bring a sense of accuracy to the story. The article gave this young man a piece of information that changed the course of his life forever. The paper listed the address (221 West 26th Street) where the show was filmed. In May of 1985, I began to venture into the Big Apple in search of my Springfield family. I not only found that Springfield family, but created relationships with fans, production crew and cast members that continues today, 39 years later. Venturing into NYC on that first day, I could never have imagined the journey this show would take me on. I started going to more and more fan events, taking pictures and interviewing cast members for the fan club and then 12 years later, I landed a dream job working in Oakdale and Springfield as part of the PR team.
Mom was still alive in 1997 when this job came along, and she was so proud to see where I landed. In 2006 mom was diagnosed with Lung Cancer and we knew she didn’t have long to live. P&G was so generous, providing two tickets to the 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. I am eternally grateful that I was given the opportunity to share this moment with my mother and sister in Los Angeles. My mother had not started chemo before the award ceremony and could not speak, but boy did she have a good time. She met cast members from Y&R, ATWT and GL, writing notes to communicate with each. The smile on her face is something I will never forget.
Over these past four years, I’ve heard from many of you about how The Locher Room makes you think of that special time watching your stories with your mother or grandmother. I’d love it if you’d share your stories below in the comments section. On Friday, May 10th, we will celebrate Mother’s Day in The Locher Room, and I’ll share some of your stories near the end of the show. I look forward to hearing from you and celebrating our Moms.
