“Now, Mom, I know there are going to be some things you might have trouble with concerning her family.”
“Like what John? I think I am a pretty open person.”
“Well, they are Democrats.”
“So? I have friends that are Democrats.”
“And her dad is a politician. He’s friends with the Kennedys.”
“Ummm…ok. I know Lamaze breathing. I can deal with this.”
“And they are Irish Catholic. Very Irish CATHOLIC.”
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph … save me now!”
John marrying Amy and marrying into her very Irish Catholic, Democratic politician, Kennedy loving family is one of the great joys of our lives. There has never been, and we doubt ever will be, a better family on the face of this earth than the Brady family. We love them.
I am proud to say, Ellen Brady was my friend. She started off as the mother of my daughter-in-law, Amy, however it only took meeting Ellen that first time to realize she was true friend material. Never has there been a warmer, kinder more welcoming heart than hers. Each and every time we were together, it was always the same; A big, fat, Irish party! Forget that I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in me. All I had to do was eat, drink and be merry and I was Marla O’Hansen in their eyes. I have never felt more loved and accepted.
Seven months ago, Ellen left us. My heart still aches for Amy and her family. My heart aches. I miss her. This year, Amy is honoring her mother by walking in the 3 Day Susan G Komen walk. Here are Amy’s own words:
"On August 13th, I lost my mother to breast cancer. She was an amazing mother, wife, grandmother and friend. My life will never be the same; I miss her every single day. I have tried to participate in a fundraising event for breast cancer every year since she was diagnosed, but this year I'm going to do even more to make sure we find a cure for this disease.
Please support me as I take an amazing journey in the fight to end breast cancer! The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure™ are invested in breast cancer research and community programs."
So, here is what I am asking anyone and everyone willing. Please help Amy make a difference by making a donation. There are two ways: you can go to Amy’s website and make a donation through Susan G Komen or you can go to BowsforBreastCancer.com and make a purchase with 100% of the proceeds going to the Susan G Komen 3 Day Walk, in honor of Ellen Brady’s life.
Would you consider posting this on your blog for others to have a chance to make a difference also? It would be so greatly appreciated.
One last thing, for those of you who are Irish, love the Irish or are loved by the Irish, please raise your Guinness and repeat after me….
Here’s to being in heaven 20 minutes before the devil knows your dead!
Erin Go Braugh!!
24 comments:
You are so awesome! I raise my pint to you and your family!
Done! Just went back to my post and added the link.
smiles. loved the tale...sorry for the loss...but smiling at the way to make a difference...will add a link here in a bit...
I will post a link to this posts on my blog. We must find a cure!
I'm crying..I lost my dearest friend to breast cancer about a year and a half ago.
I need at least 30 minutes before the devil because I'm chubby and I waddle.
Very sweet. And I love that your family is friends with your son in-law's. Just one big happy family. I feel like Lib's in-law's are our extended family also. My son calls them Grandma Karen, just like Bo and Annie do. We spend a lot of time with them, it's a ton of fun. So sorry that you lost your new friend, and it has to be so difficult on a new marriage to have to go through the loss of a parent.
Have a great day, we had a ton of St. Patrick's Day celebrating here!
kate
how awesome that you found such a friend so late in life, and an in-law at that. sorry she had to leave you so early. i can't imagine how sad that would be.
i personally don't support the conventional cures for cancer...i've always been a naturalist in that sense.
I have given hundreds to breast cancer organizations, since my mother and sister were both struck by it... thanks for making a difference!
Lovely tribute to your son's "other" mom. Thanks so much for writing it!
What a wonderful tribute!
I have some true-green Irish Catholic friends, and let me tell ya - there aren't enough pots of gold to make me give them up. They are family - blood or not.
I'm blessed with wonderful in-laws too. Both mine, and my oldest daughter's.
It's a great feeling to know that your kids not only married a good spouse, but that they married a good family too. It makes all our lives richer.
I'm so sorry your friend and family member was taken so soon. It's never fair - the good ones leave too soon & the bad ones never seem to go away.
Wish your daughter-in-law good luck for me!
Wowhh.. great blogsuport for Amy. I give every month to the foundation for cancer in The Netherlands. Hope that all the money will help to find a cure!
It's powerful stuff, family. It brings people together in ways we wouldn't have imagined.
wow, this is such a great post. It made me well up. My precious mother in law just went through chemo and is now thnkfully in remission. I appreaciate the love you have for Amy. shes a blessed girl! Where in Ok are you? Im in Owasso, just outside Tulsa :) xoxo LA
How wonderful to have had such a good friend in your daughter in laws mother. I'll head to amy's site now.
I'm so sorry about your loss, and her family's loss.
I will go to those links and donate over the weekend.
Raising a glass in toast!
Love,
Lola
Hi Marla,
My daughter told me to look at her comment on the football post at Lib's, and I also read your comment. I am laughing hysterically! If you want to suit up and play with us, then, yes, I will most certainly kick both your butt and your ashes (lol) but otherwise, I promise to be nice!!! I loved your comment, it made me laugh so hard! Thanks a ton, football is a ton of work, and is killing my entire body, but it is fun also. There are many girls who are probably like your Nikki, that's a lot of the reason I play. I am certainly meeting girls from different walks of life than mine!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Kate
Lisa ~ Why, thank you!
Ms. A ~ You are the BEST.
Brian ~ I so appreciate that!
Lily ~ Yes, we must. Thank you, dear friend.
Parsley ~ I am so, so sorry.
Queen ~ I am so with ya, sister!
Kate ~ Not much better than when friends become family and family become friends.
Shelle ~ Watching what my poor sister has gone through with conventional treatment, I seriously don't know what I would do. Hard disease with an even harder treatment it seems at times.
DJan ~ Thank you for all you've done.
Attila ~ Thank you for reading it. :-)
Sandi ~ How true is that? The bad ones never seem to go away. We need to talk to management about this.
Amarja ~ You have a big heart and I love you for that.
Nancy ~ So true.
McAllen ~ Good news on your MIL! We are in Piedmont, just west of OKC.
Angie & Lola ~ Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Kate ~ That is so awesome!!! I love the way God uses each of us in such interesting and diverse ways when we say YES!!
Beautiful! And done.
What a wonderful way to honor her mother!
Thanks Deborah & Kelli!!
Sorry to hear about your daughter-in-laws mom's passing. Good luck to your daughter with her walk and fundraising! She will do great!
That cracked me up...I am 3/4 Irish AND Catholic haha!
And I am hoping to participate in the breast cancer walk here in Santa Barbara in Sept...if I can get myself up to that point!
Will be writing a post on such things probably tomorrow and will link back to yours!!
What a sweet post but I'm so sorry for the loss of Ellen.
I saw a comment on a blog with your name and had to come visit another Marla.
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