Joyce G. Hamm
b. November 18, 1947
d. October 28, 1999
My mother was my closest
friend and the most brilliant woman I have ever known. The
tragedy of losing her defies description. I think we all
reach a point in our lives when we realize that our parents
may die before we do, but we do not really expect it to
happen when we are in our early 30s and they are in their
early 50s.
My mother was like a guru to my friends, and my sister's
friends as well. We didn't just have a "cool mom", we were
lucky to live with someone whose words were gems of wisdom
to anyone within earshot. Of all the blessings in my life,
having her for my mother will always be the
greatest.
My composition "Absence
of Joy" was written in response to her death. More
information about the work can be found
here.
