07/22

I received some sad news today about Mike Schmoyer's dad, Jerry. He passed away on Friday night after a long battle with cancer. I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet him a few years ago when I still lived in Delaware. Mike's folks came to Philly (from Allentown, where Mike grew up) to see Les Miserables with Mike, his brother Jason and his wife, Joy. I went as Mike's guest, as he had an extra ticket, and afterwards, we went to a fabulous restaurant down the street from the theater for dinner. I enjoyed the play and also enjoyed the company and hospitality of the Schmoyer clan.

Mike's parents are the kind of folks who didn't want to be called "Mr. and Mrs.". They were "Jerry and Diane", which to me will never seem proper, as I grew up in a family where everyone had some kind of title (respect for your elders and all that). So, all my parents' friends are "Aunt" or "Uncle", even though there is no blood relation, and the parents of my friends are "Mr." or "Mrs." so-and-so. This is where I have trouble calling my mother-in-law by her first name, as in Thai tradition, she's now my mother too and should be addressed as such. John thinks my dilemma about what to call her is very funny.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Schmoyer family tonight as I keep two others (John Sr. and Joan Burroughs) we lost this past April in my thoughts as well.