Growing up, there were many women who played a special role in my life-my mother and my aunts in particular. But I had a special distinct group-my "other mothers," who were the mothers of my best friends. They treated me as their own. These are the women whose houses I spent half my time at from my childhood through my high school years and whenever possible during my college years. Nearly three decades later, these are the women whom I still make a point to see whenever I visit home.

This past week, my extra special other mother, Buelah, passed away. My heart is broken but I know that she is at peace and pain-free in Heaven.

I will always remember her penchant for finding the perfect dresses at the Jack & Jill Shoppe when my forever friend Kelly & I were kids. I will remember her peeking into the bedroom "just to see what we were doing" when we played with Barbies in elementary school and when we practiced our dance moves in our high school (and played The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton albums over & over & over again). I will remember the summer days splashing in the backyard pool, being called in when it got too dark to play Ditchem around the neighborhood, posing in our graduation gowns in the backyard (just beyond Joe's garden), and asking for second (and thirds) of her fabulous mashed potatoes and pork chops or meatloaf. And I'm sure that Buelah could remind me of a few times when I helped to contribute to her growth of grey hair.

I will always remember this beautiful, graceful, loving Southern woman, who loved me, worried about me, and encouraged me as she did her own children. RIP Momma Buel...Thank you for being the best other mother I could ever wish for! ❤