Mom.
You are an icon.
Happy Motherâs Day! Your first after retirement!
You deserve to sit back, relax and to bask in the light of all that you have built and acheived in your life!
You have instilled in me the strongest work ethic. Seeing you enjoy your work so much over the years has made me continue to lean in and find joy in mine.
You have taught me how to light up a room (although, I still think you do it better).
You have taught me how to crack a joke and laugh the loudest at myself.
Youâve taught me how to shop til I drop and have made fashion a passion of mine that Iâve followed into a career.
Youâve taught me how to listen with heart and respond with just the right comforting words.
Youâve shared your light so generously with others and still have more to give. I will always try and emulate that in you.
Every day I find more of your light in me, and itâs my favorite thing to discover.
I am so proud to call you my Mom. And canât wait to see you so soon in Philadelphia!
Love you â¤ď¸
Yesterday, we said goodbye to our Lola.
Her name was Lola
she wasnât a showgirl
but she did love attention
she got that from here daddies
she was about 16 years old
we had her for 10 of them
and she made our life and our home so much better
nearly til the end, she greeted us at the door every time we came home
she loved the sun
when we saw our current apartment for the first time, we both said
âoh Lola will love the wide window sillsâ
and she did
so many hours sunbathing
she was full of personality and sass
you could never pet her from the front
because if she saw your hand, she would bite you
and honestly, she enjoyed the bite
she always cried for food as if she was starving
meals, snacks, she was screaming in the kitchen
thatâs probably from her stray days in Puerto Rico
she was an island girl
which is why I think she only preferred seafood flavor things
she really was the best cat
a huge cuddle bug
I feel like we were cosmically bonded
she taught us so many lessons on love
patience, sickness, and death
she will be forever missed
I think our apartment will miss her too
Our cat girl, our kitty girl, our schnookienee, our neenee, Lee, Loshmee
Our Lola.
Thanks to everyone who watched her and fed her over the years. She loved all her friends. Thanks to Sally Waxman for one the greatest gifts of all, and Jen Davidson so helping her get to us.
@sallyfwaxman@jen_davidsonnyc
2025 Reading Wrapped! I read 16 books this year! These are the best of the best! I think my favorite was A Home at the End of the World! Michael Cunningham just gets it. Stay True was small but mighty! And, honorable mention to All Fours. I definitely wouldnât say it was my favorite, but it did inspire a lot of good conversation. Anyway, hereâs to the continuation of my reading journey in 2026! Give me some recs! đâ¤ď¸
2025. As I reflect back on the year I realize that the older you get the deeper existing connections become and the more you exhale into your life, friendships and relationships. The focus becomes on investing in the people and moments that shine the most light back onto you.
Travel with people I love is always a bright spot in my year. Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Philadelphia, Fire Island, Provincetown, Woodstock, Albuquerque and home to California. Getting a break for the city and feeling footloose and fancy free is always a welcomed exhale.
Gilbert doing Rent in Philly I would say was the highlight of my year! He shone so brightly and made so many beautiful connections along the way. But, even more special for me, was being able to share his performance, Philly and the joy of Rent with so many of my friends and family near and far, felt like our wedding all over again. What an affecting experience and one that I will never forget!
I realized as well that gay travel and adventure with my now built chosen family is one of the biggest releases and joys of my year. We produced a show at the historic Ice Palace on Fire Island, created The Reckless Little Sluts and hosted dance parties, we watched the sun rise under the dock in Provincetown, these memories I truly cherish and connect me so deeply to the queer artist human inside me. And it feels so good.
Having my Mom in New York this holiday season to celebrate her retirement after 36 years at Nordstrom and her birthday, was one of the biggest gifts and one I will never forget. Seeing her wake up to Brooklyn snowfall her first day, truly felt like Christmas morning. The last few weeks really reminded me of the importance of family. Having such a tight knit, loving, supporting family has truly built me into the person I am today. I couldnât be me without them. And I am so so thankful.
(Continued in the comments cause I couldnât edit đ)
Having my Mom here for the last few days was practically perfect in every way! NY has never been more magical during the holidays! đâ¨â¤ď¸
⨠Waking up to snow covered trees
⨠Playing Santa in our Christmas Show
⨠Carols around @katypatrice âs piano
⨠Icy walk in Prospect Park
⨠Decorating our Christmas Tree with spiked Hot Cocoa
⨠All the lights in Dyker Heights
⨠Miracle on 34th St Moment
⨠Date with @gilbertwithaz to the NYC Rockettes
⨠The light show @saks
⨠Scotch on the rocks at the Waldorf Astoria
⨠Delicious Dinner @shukettenyc thanks to @michaelray_carter
⨠Birthday Brunch at our favorite @littleowlnyc
⨠Shopping, shopping, shopping!
⨠Birthday Dinner @nizzanyc
⨠A fab evening with @jonathangroff_xo@justintimebway
⨠Momâs first martini ever @bar_centrale
⨠One last birthday candle at Casa Mulchez
