Betty White Was My Mom

REMEMBERING MOM/ROSE NYLUND/BETTY WHITE/MEMORIES

And if you are lucky, she was yours too.

The death of Betty White has put the world in a tailspin. She was everyone’s iconic grandmother and great-grandmother. In her passing, we are reminded that there are amazing people in this world, of which she led the pack.

But for me, her passing means something more.

My Mom has been gone about fifteen years now, but that hasn’t erased her memory from my heart. And I know it sounds odd, but Rose Nylund, aka Betty White, was a living, breathing memory of my Mom.

The whole Golden Girls cast was reminiscent of my mother and a couple of her best friends. My childhood wouldn’t be complete without these ladies and their impression on my life as both mothers and friends.

Many in my family have felt the connection between the incredible women we knew growing up and their namesakes on The Golden Girls.

My Godmother, Lois, was Dorothy Zbornak. She was the strong, direct one. Never one for much emotion, she was the responsible one who kept things going.

My Mom’s other friend was Blanche Devereaux. Her real name was Geri, and she was always the life of the party. The one who you never knew what she might say and whose motto was “after me, you come first.” Her ego was her charm, and you had to love her for it.

We had a few who made us think of Sophia, but no one came quite close enough to handle the honor.

But it was Rose, my Mom, who was the glue that held them all together.

Rose was born on March 12, 1930. My Mom was born on March 3, 1928.

Rose was valedictorian of her graduating class and so was my Mom. Although different circumstances, Rose drew the short straw of her class, and my Mom earned it through her grades.

Rose married Charlie in 1948, and my Mom and dad were married in 1947. Both went on to have five children.

Both Rose and my Mom became widows in 1970 and 1973 due to heart attacks suffered by their husbands. Neither woman ever remarried even though…

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