MomMom

Earlier this week, Jason’s grandmother, Barb Leyba, passed away after a courageous battle with brain cancer.  The loss of our matriarch will be deeply felt in the Leyba family.  I first met MomMom not long after Jason and I began dating in 2000, and I was struck by her warmth and generosity of spirit.  It was very clear that she adored her boys and her grandchildren, just as she would come to adore Savannah after she was born.  She welcomed me into the Leyba family with open arms.

She was an artist, and I’m quite certain she is the reason why Jason is one too (for those who have only recently met Jason, this might be something you don’t know about him, but he is a brilliant artist).  She was politically active and outspoken about her beliefs, which I greatly admired (and, as an aside, it is always fun when someone in their 70s is the most liberal person in the room!) And she was a letter writer, which has become a lost art form in this age of digital communication.  She sent us so many letters, especially in the aftermath of Jason’s accident.  These never failed to uplift and encourage us.  She encouraged me to keep writing about Jason, SCI, and our post-injury world.  So it seems fitting to memorialize her here.

I’m sad for my husband, who has lost someone he loved dearly, but I’m also sad for Savannah, who only got to know MomMom for three years.  

Rest in peace, MomMom.  We love you.