A Tribute to Mom
             
Whether it was Eleanor, Elja by those closest to her, Aunt Elj by the neighborhood kids, or Mom by my friends, no matter what you called her, you couldn't help but love her.  She exemplified what being a mother was all about...taking care of others, making folks feel special, and feeding you until you thought you would burst. Together with Dad, they opened up our home to family, friends and furry creatures from the basement room fixed up for Boris, an old fellow who had nowhere to go, to Gram in the spare bedroom, and the stray animals filling up the rest of the space.  It didn't matter if you came to know her later in life or since childhood, like her cousin Walter pictured with her below, it was obvious to all this was one special lady.

 

A beautiful blonde with brown eyes and a full figure, you could easily understand why people were drawn to her, but it was her warmth and understanding, her generosity and kindness that kept everyone coming back...that and the fact she was one hell of a cook. Although Mom liked to dress up occasionally, fancy clothes or jewelry weren't important to her.  It was the people in her life that were her priority. The picture below is a rare glamour shot since she preferred dressing casually, most often in a muu-muu because in her words "it's comfortable and I don't have to wear anything under it."  However, when she decided to supervise Christmas decorations on the roof and discovered she was deathly afraid of heights as she clung to the chimney with her housecoat blowing in the breeze, she soon realized going commando wasn't such a hot idea.  Let's just say the moon in Sheatown that day was located right over our house.

From her rocker in the corner of the living room, she made you laugh with her wicked sense of humor, schemed with her cohorts about the next party or project, and devised plans with her friend Janice how to rescue another stray.  She also listened to your problems and offered advice, opinionated and to the point.  If you were treated poorly in a relationship, the conversation usually went like this: "Get rid of the son of bitch and find someone who makes you happy. Life is too short."  

When Mom said "I have a plan" the immediate response from Dad was "Cool your jets, Elja" because he knew it was going to cost him a bundle. She ignored Dad's warnings and transformed the little ranch house into their own paradise complete with a pool, outside bar and fireplace where she threw fabulous parties, treating her guests to her famous clam chowder and other homemade delights, plus there was always music and dancing, a must at any Yatko party.  

When her dear friend, Dr. Pilarek, told Mom she had cancer, she didn't ask about a prognosis.  In typical Mom fashion, she looked to Dad and said, "I don't want to leave you and Jackie. Who will take care of you?"  Well, the time had come for us to take care of Mom, traveling all over the northeast for surgery and chemotherapy.  After a stay at Sloan Kettering, where she charmed everyone, we returned home to find a gigantic welcome home sign created by the neighborhood kids hanging in the driveway. Although they spelled her name wrong, the tears streaming down her face were a clear indication of how much it meant to her.

She spent the final months of her life at home surrounded by what she held most dear...her family and friends, her rescued pets including her dog Lucky, Cousin Walter sitting by her side, lifelong friends Chet, Phyllis and Pat making frequent visits to comfort her.  We lost Mom on February 18 of 1990 and Dad said to me that day, "I'm glad we enjoyed life to the fullest.  Mommy certainly knew what she was doing."  So thanks, Mom, for giving us the memories that are The Yatko Chronicles.

Since Mom loved music, I'll end this with her favorite song that was playing the night she met Dad...where it all began.