MATT ADAMS
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Mets Fever

7/27/2020

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When I was about 10, I was in a youth baseball league. All the teams in my league were named after major league teams and by pure chance,  I was put on a team called “The Mets”. Because of this, I loved The Mets and wanted to get my hands on anything related to them. I ended up having so much Mets gear that one of my brothers nicknamed me Darryl Strawberry. Of course, my mom was the one who got it all for me.

Mom didn't know much about baseball or sports for that matter, but she knew that I was crazy about this team that hit a ball with a stick. During the height of my Mets phase, she was always on the lookout for anything related to my beloved team.

The folder I'm holding below was a replica of Ron Darling's 1988 Topps baseball card and was my absolute favorite. Since most of my other folders for school were those “5 for a dollar” cheapies you would get at Paper Cutter, I would carry this one on the outside of my stack of folders in the hallway, just like someone who puts a hundred dollar bill over a wad of singles. 
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And I'll never forget this amazing Christmas card that must have taken her forever to make. It had prime real estate among my pictures on the wall. I saved it for years until the glitter was falling off so badly, I eventually had to get rid of it.
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She also took me on a trip to the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown with my Grandfather. In the picture below, I am wearing my beloved fanny pack. In it, I'm sure I had a bunch of Mets baseball cards and that stale stick of gum that comes with the pack.

At that age, it was important to always have a few cards on you because you  never knew when you would run across someone that would have a card that you were missing or vice versa and in the heat of the moment you could make a sweet trade that that would complete your set.

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My most prized possession, though, was my Mets Satin starter jacket. I loved this jacket so much and would wear it everywhere. If you look close enough, you can see I'm even wearing Mets wristbands. I don't think I ever asked my mom specifically for Mets wristbands, but that's the kind of person my mom was before she got sick. If she found out that you liked something, she would always be on the lookout for anything that related to it and she'd buy it or try to make something similar.
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Mom would always spend most of her paycheck on other people and truth be told, she wouldn't have it any other way. For my mom, it was the smile that she received when she would give you something. To her, that smile was everything.
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Here Comes the Sun

7/21/2020

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Although my mom doesn't play any instruments, she always loved to sing and encouraged me to play music since I was young. Now, I play for her and sometimes, she sings along. Here's a short video of me playing, "Here Comes the Sun,"  as  she helps me out with the choruses.  Anyone who knows my mom, Ruby knows how much she enjoys music but this song specifically always makes me think of her.
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A Friend, a Guardian Angel, and a Wedding

7/14/2020

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When my mother was homeless due to her depression and living in a shelter in New York City, she walked the streets from morning until night. She would later say that it was a miracle that she was never harmed. Back then, her closest friend was a woman named Beula from the Bahamas. Mom told me that her and Beula would often walk together. Shortly after my mother returned home, Beula came to visit us. My mom embraced her and introduced me to her as her "guardian angel."
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Within a year of her visit, she called my mother and informed her that she was going to be married. It would be a very small ceremony and she wanted my mom to be a witness. Of course my mother was thrilled for her friend. We made the drive to Manhattan and it was indeed a very small wedding, it was just 6 of us. I think the public official that performed the ceremony must have taken the photo below.
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My mom hung balloons, made a flower arrangement, a couple of corsages and even got me to be the ring bearer. I asked my Dad how I ended up getting that job, and he said, "because you were young and available."
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Although they hadn't known each other for that long, they both shared a similar struggle and in this time of darkness for both of them, they found some light in each other's company. Maybe that’s why she asked us to be there with her on her wedding day.

I don't know what ever happened to Beula, but I do know that the friendship that she forged with my mother was truly special. Their lives intersected at exactly the right moment in time and were that much better because of it.

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Dancin'  Ruby

7/7/2020

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My mom has always loved to dance. Growing up in Trinidad, she specifically loved calypso music. Although she can't carry on a conversation in the way that she once did, she still is able to occasionally surprise us with her dancing. Of course she isn't like this  all the time but  it's amazing to see her get up off the couch and see her come to life in this way.

At my "Aunt" Flo's  July 4th party, my mother was in rare form and they danced to the song, Hot Hot Hot. Flo sent me a message and said,  "I got my friend Ruby to dance with me!!! I feel so grateful to have Ruby back for a few minutes!!!"
Joseph Campbell once  said, "You don't ask what  dance means, you enjoy it" so i hope you enjoyed the video above and if you have family members or friends with memory loss,  please  play music  for them.  In my experiences with my mom,  I'm consistently blown away by the power of music.
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    "Ruby Tuesday" is a place for friends and family to share stories about my mother and show how she has  impacted their lives. 

    Blog updates every Tuesday for the full year to celebrate my mom turning 80.


    If you'd like to share something, whether it be a story, a photo, a recipe or even a drawing of hers that you kept, please e-mail me or use the contact form. The goal is to get as many voices on here as possible!

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