Moriah, Marie, Mocha and Me

The letter “M” is a very important letter in my life – second only to the letter “T”. My mother’s name was Marian, nicknamed “Mela”, my daughter is Moriah, my granddaughter is Marie, and our dog was Mocha. This is about unconditional love, the love that surpasses all understanding. It is the most powerful love that strengthens and sustains us. I always wanted to be a mother. It meant everything to me when Moriah entered my world. Motherhood gave me a sense of purpose. It became more important to me than anything else I experienced personally or professionally. Being Moriah’s mother significantly and dramatically improved and changed my life for the better.

Moriah at 3 months

Moriah at 6 months

Moriah at 4

Since Moriah was an infant, we’ve always been profoundly spiritually connected heart to heart and soul to soul. So deep, intense and close is our spiritual connection that throughout the years, we’ve experienced the blessing of being able to communicate with each other telepathically. Especially when she was a teenager, we would read each other’s minds and often finish each other’s sentences. Sometimes, Moriah would even say that she had already told me something verbally, with spoken words, when she had actually sent me a message telepathically, expecting a response. We still communicate telepathically. As I was writing this, Moriah was thinking of me, and she sent me 2 adorable photos of Marie wearing the pink and purple Minnie Mouse dress that was a gift from me!

Marie at 4

She's still 4!

During one of many summers that Moriah spent in St. Paul, Minnesota visiting her father, she noticed that he had the symbols of a yin and yang tattoo on the upper backside of one of his shoulders. When she asked me if she could get a tattoo, I told her that if she’d wait a few more years, when she was 16, we would get tattoos together. In October of 2008, we scheduled the date, and we agreed that Moriah would get 2 tattoos: “Richard” her father’s name on the inside of her left ankle, my name “Tamara” on the inside of her right ankle, and I would get her name “Moriah” tattooed on the inside of my left ankle. Moriah has both names proudly, beautifully displayed on her ankles. So unbearable was the excruciating pain as the tattoo artist sketched the “M” on my ankle, my tattoo is an “M” only. Nevertheless, I’m ecstatic about the “M” because it represents my mother, Moriah, Marie and Mocha, the dearest, most special “Ms” in my life.

Moriah always wanted a dog and a cat. It was only after we had hundreds of goldfish, a hamster, and a guinea pig that I was convinced Moriah was mature enough and ready to manage the huge responsibility of a puppy. Moriah’s intellect, creativity, empathy, courage, fortitude, and resilience have always inspired me. She read lots of books about dogs before we adopted Mocha, a Basenji, from the Atlanta Humane Society. Mocha became Moriah’s first baby. Moriah adored, fed, trained, clothed and spoiled Mocha for 13 years. I didn’t understand exactly why Mocha chased and caught moles and chipmunks in the backyard; and why she proudly placed them, her prey, on the rug in front of the patio door, until Moriah explained to me that as a Basenji, Mocha was an African hunting dog!

Mocha loved and protected Moriah. She also enjoyed taking aerobic walks and rides with me in our Honda Pilot. Sitting in the back seat, Mocha effortlessly pressed the electric button, put the window down and placed her head outside the window. This discovery required me to control how widely Mocha opened the window to prevent her from jumping out when she saw other dogs!  

Before Marie was born, I referred to Moriah and Mocha as my fave-rave M&Ms (homage to M&Ms candies). When Moriah became Marie’s mother, Mocha was fiercely protective of both of them – until December 2022 when Mocha passed on for eternal rest.

During a recent visit with Moriah and Marie in February 2024, I experienced the greatest examples of unconditional love as I had golden opportunities to spend precious, quality time with Moriah and Marie overnight in their home. Playtime with Marie was interactive and delightful as we played catch with a large balloon, and as she meticulously prepared meals for us in her kitchen. We also sketched pictures on her easel using different colored markers. At age 4, it is utterly marvelous and magical how much Marie is the image of Moriah in likeness and mannerisms!

Reading Marie’s favorite books to her at bedtime is one of the most fun, exhilarating, bonding experiences we share. On Friday night as I began to read the book about “Bluey”, Moriah joined us by laying across the bed. My heart leapt with an abundance of joy as I shared such an extraordinary experience with both of my favorite girls! Another priceless, unforgettable moment occurred during Saturday morning breakfast when Moriah shared with me that a box on the shelf in her dining room contained Mocha’s ashes – she was cremated. Mocha’s red leash was strategically placed on the box with a lovely photo of infant Marie with Moriah and Mocha on the floor beside her. As I have been mourning the loss of our beloved Mocha, thanks to Moriah, it was the best closure.

One of the ways I keep the Ms close to me is by periodically wearing a 14K gold “M” that belonged to my mother, and a 14K gold heart together on a gold chain. Moriah is my favorite daughter, and Marie is my favorite granddaughter – my fave-rave M&Ms. They are the sunshine and the stars of my life, bringing happiness and sweet delights with their positive energy, their smiles and their laughter. My unconditional love for Moriah and Marie is forever and ever. It is an absolutely phenomenal experience to be Moriah’s mother, and it is an amazing blessing to be Marie’s grandmother. There are no words adequate or sufficient to express the depth of my love for Moriah and Marie, and my profound appreciation for the incomparable joy I experience every time we are together.

Cherish the power of unconditional love.