Donna Dinius

My best memory of mum is all of them. This picture is me on a field trip in 4th grade. Mum was a chaperone. I was so proud to have her on the bus with me and my pals headed to Mystic Aquarium. She had me all dressed in the latest fashion, sunglasses included. I didn’t appreciate it at that time, but she had to take the day off from work to be a chaperone. That same year she taught me how to swim to a raft that was over my head. She led with confidence telling me to just follow her. Those words - just follow her - helped me time and again throughout my life. One fun story, a side of her you may not know. She beat me in a drag race. By happenstance, she and I were side-by-side at the only stop light in Sandwich. She’s driving a Cadillac and I’m driving some teenager junk car. I look to my left, catch her eye, and I can tell, it’s on. We are racing off the line. Not surprisingly, she kicked my butt in that race. I always remembered her looking at me through her rearview mirror, almost saying, you still have a lot to learn. I miss you mum. And yet, you are always with me.