Mum's the Word: Mom would have been a terrific grandmother to her namesake Joan

"See that dimple in Joan’s chin, mom had the exact same one!” Mom would have been a terrific grandmother to her namesake Joan

January marked 25 years since I lost my mom. She passed away in 1994 when my sister and I were still teenagers and her passing left a big hole in our lives — and we both think of her every single day.

Losing her became a defining part of my identity. We had lost our father four years previously in 1989 so I have now spent the majority of my life without them. During my 20s and into my 30s it was something that came up often as when meeting people, most people automatically asked about your family.