Today would have been my mother’s 78th birthday. I’ve been paying tribute to her every year on this day, always calling the posts “The Judy Miller Show,” after the recurring “Saturday Night Live” sketch that my mom loved in which Gilda Radner played a hyper but very imaginative little girl named Judy Miller who put on crazy shows in her bedroom.
May is always a tough month. My mother died in 1999, shortly after her 65th birthday (not to mention Mother's Day). I woke up thinking of her this morning, imagining what it would be like if she were here and involved in the lives of her four grandchildren. It’s been so long. Leah and Spencer have a few memories, but Sammy and Charlie were born after she died and only know her from pictures and stories. That makes me so sad.
This afternoon I interviewed the actress Andie MacDowell and her real-life daughter, Rainey Qualley, who appear as mother and daughter in an upcoming film called “Mighty Fine” about a dysfunctional Jewish family in the 1970s who are living above their means. Hello? Paging the Millers! I remember seeing “Four Weddings and a Funeral” with my mom back in the 1990s. She loved MacDowell, who, back then, was the quintessential southern shiksa. Who could have guessed that 20 years later I’d be talking to the actress and her daughter about the Jewish characters they were playing that so evoke my own family members and that I'd be telling Andie MacDowell, teary-eyed, about my mom and the fact that today was her birthday. (So much for professional journalism!)
I was very moved a few minutes ago to get an email from my mother’s longtime co-workers at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago who never let May 10th go by without remembering and talking about her. “The person with the biggest heart in the world,” her friend Nancy said. “God put Judy in our lives for a reason,” another friend wrote. “She taught us all how to LOVE.”
I’ve been looking at photos of my mom and wanted to share them with all the people who knew her. There was a singer my mother loved that always makes me think of her. Remember Marilyn Michaels? A Jewish entertainer in the 1960s with fabulous pipes, the niece of the famous cantor, Moishe Oysher. Marilyn Michaels was famous for her impressions of people ranging from Debbie Reynolds to Zsa Zsa Gabor to Barbra Streisand (who she closely resembled). Michaels starred in the first national touring company of “Funny Girl” and I remember watching her with my mom on shows like “Ed Sullivan,” “The Hollywood Palace,” and the Jerry Lewis telethon. In the video below you can hear Marilyn Michaels singing a song that made me sob the first time I heard it because of how much it reminded me of my mom. Michaels sings the song with her then 14-year-old son who I believe today is a playwright in New York. It’s schmaltzy as can be but the perfect song for me to listen to today.
Happy Birthday, Mom! We miss you so much!
Such a loving and sweet tribute to Judy. She was truly a free spirit. I miss her, too! And those pictures - she looks straight out of the cast of "Mad Men"! Gorgeous!! I think Charlie has her smile.
Posted by: Danusia | May 10, 2012 at 07:11 PM
Miss you bubba! :)
Posted by: Spencer Tweedy | May 10, 2012 at 07:26 PM
Such a Beautiful tribute to your very BEAUTFUL Mother, Danny....I wish her a Very Happy Birthday, too!
Posted by: OldOldLady Of The Hills | May 10, 2012 at 08:58 PM
Your mom sported so many great hairstyles and fashionable outfits! Happy birthday to your mom.
Posted by: Julie R. | May 10, 2012 at 09:56 PM
Sobbing...
Posted by: your sister | May 11, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Tearful...
Happy Mother's Day to you, Sue & Kendall.
Posted by: Julie | May 11, 2012 at 11:33 AM
What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful woman. Yes, May is a tough month. Our Mom's birthday was May 8 and we miss her very much. I don't think that you and I ever met Danny, but I know your sister and my sister and I think of you all as family. Love to you and your family,
Cassy Redhed
Posted by: Cassy Redhed | May 11, 2012 at 12:12 PM
Let's all raise a toast (better be a Bloody Mary!)to Judy. We all miss you so,
but you are always in our thoughts and smiles!
Posted by: David Vanderbilt, Paw Paw, IL | May 11, 2012 at 01:30 PM
What a beautiful tribute, and what a perfect way to celebrate your mommy's birthday. Heavens, she was gorgeous.
Posted by: Kitty Shelley | May 11, 2012 at 08:06 PM
Tomorrow, Mother's Day, would have been my mom's 70th birthday. Your post about your mom made me smile--and thank you so much for that. I'm a mom to three myself, but yet Mother'S Day since I've lost my mom has been somewhat bittersweet...So glad that we are blessed with memories of our moms.
Posted by: Anne | May 12, 2012 at 08:49 PM
What a wonderfully warm walk down Memory Lane, Danny. Your mom clearly had flair, beauty, smarts and spunk, and you've captured it all in this little video montage. May your memories of her continue to enrich your life, the lives of your siblings and your mom's grandchildren's lives.
Posted by: Pearl | May 14, 2012 at 07:30 PM
About Judy: have you ever noticed that in many of her photos she bears a striking resemblance to Claire Danes? Especially when glancing elsewhere than the camera or in 3/4 face. Cool.
Posted by: Tracy Moore | June 28, 2012 at 02:29 PM
Such a adoring and lovely honor to Judy. She was truly a no cost soul. I skip her, too! And those images.
Posted by: venetian blind | January 02, 2013 at 06:54 PM