“Your choice of font says more about you than the words it’s written in.” – Brick Heck, “The Middle”
My Mom was a big fan of the popular TV show “The Middle.” The series follows a quirky, Midwest family where the losses outnumber the wins, but the overriding theme is “you do for family.” Years ago my son introduced us to the show and months later I found out that Mom had been watching, too. She was a big fan of Brick, the family’s youngest son.
When she shared this information with me I laughed out loud. While Brick is super smart, an avid reader and a font enthusiast, he is also socially awkward and overlooked by his family day in and day out. Turns out, he was just my Mom’s kind of kid. My Mom worked as a Children’s Case Manager providing one-on-one help to kiddos with mental health needs and emotional disturbances. She said with an absolute straight face, “I could help him,” and I wholeheartendly believe she could.
Not everyone is created with a big heart, an empathetic nature and a spirit driven to help others, but my Mom was. She always loved kids and she was exceptionally good with them, I know because we were blessed to call her our Mom.
It is Atticus Shaffer’s birthday this week, that’s the real name of the actor who plays Brick Heck. I saw a post on social media reminding fans of the big day. We still binge watch the TV show in our house (and I know my sister does, too). During these watch sessions, I always remind my kiddos how much Mom loved Brick. They already know, but none of us get tired of saying it.
Empty Chairs, Everywhere is a personal grief diary as I process the loss of my Mother to COVID-19.
Empty Chairs, Everywhere 