Kristi Hager (KH) and Cherie Newman (CN)

KH: I remembered when my mother and I shared this completely blissful laughing fit. It was the kind of laughing fit where you, something gets you going and you start laughing and then you know you’re just laughing because you’re laughing. I was about nine years old. She was taking life saving so she could be our lifeguard when we had a swimming pond built. She had to take a written exam and I would be reading the questions at the back of the chapter, and she had it memorized – she had it down by rote and so…. The question I asked her was: What do you do when you’re swimming in a pond and underwater weeds start to pull you under? She just answered, Boom: “Extricate yourself with slow undulating motions.” I didn’t even really know what it meant. I just knew it was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. And I found that when I got into that state with my mother that was when we weren’t mother and daughter anymore. Those roles just sort of fell by the wayside and in that moment we were just two people laughing.

CN: I know she’s only been gone a short time, but what do you miss most about your mom?

KH: She would sit while she watched us swimming in the pond with her knees in front of her and her arms resting on her knees, and her back was so tan. She had this kind of Mediterranean skin that would go that bronze, rich color. And I just want to put my cheek next to it. It’s a very animal type of longing but… Uh…. One of the last things she said to me. I was leaving and as every time I left in the last year or two I’d always say “Well mom, we’re not sure we’ll get to see each other again.” And so I was ready to walk out and catch my shuttle to the airport and she said, “Well Kristi, it’s been really nice knowing you.” And it was so sweet. It was just the sweetest thing.