Likes the three posts that ilovedinomartin is sharin' on these days before our Day Of Givin' Dino Thanks, have been shared here before, but each is so so special that we simply must post each of 'em 'gain in this season of Dino-thanks!
Here is a post that ran durin' Dino-amore-month 2012 and 'gain in our 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Week Of Givin' Dino Thanks. Likes it's from the outstandin' blog, "Vocal Standards" hosted by Mr. Steve Cox. In his prose, "Dean Martin's wonderful gift," Mr. Cox shares a deeply moving, profoundly insightful testimony to the tremendous transformin' power of our most beloved Dino. Cox tells his heart-felt story of how our Dino's recorded music and television show dvds comforted his mother Bernice in the last couple of years of her struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.
This is one of the most truely touchin', if not the most touchin' post that we have ever shared here at ilovedinomartin about the amazin' way that our great man had, has, and will forever have of touchin' his great devotees' lives....and thus totally worthy of sharin' 'gain as we celebrate our week of "Givin' Dino Thanks" here at ilovedinomartin.
We 'gain offer our deep appreciation to Mr. Steve Cox for being so touchin'ly transparent in sensitively sharin' his deeply personal testimony of the amazin' ways that Dean Martin consoled Cox's mother in her last days on this earth. To read this in it's original format, simply click on the title of this post.
Dino we do indeed shares our thanks for the amazin' ways you keep transformin' the lives of those you have welcomed into your amazin'ly wonderful world!
We remain,
Yours in Dino,
Dino Martin Peters
Dean Martin’s wonderful gift…
February 5, 2012 By scox
My mom’s birthday was yesterday…I think she would have been 85 — she passed away in 2004. I don’t want to get all maudlin here or make this too personal, but I do want to share an anecdote about how Dean Martin helped my mother in her time of greatest need.
As I mentioned in last week’s post on Andy Williams, we religiously watched Dean Martin’s television show at our house. To my knowledge, neither of my parents ever caught a Dean Martin live performance but nevertheless they were huge fans … the distant way most people are with guys as big as Dean or Frank Sinatra.
For the most part Bernice Cox lived a great life; she was a beauty queen (Miss New Hampshire!), married a dashing fighter pilot after the war (WW II), traveled, played great golf, danced … raised two amazing and talented children .
A tough ending…Bernie had a tough go at the end with Parkinson’s Disease. Many of the things she loved to do moved from difficult to impossible in the last few years and that’s when Dean became a big part of her life.
Man, she loved to watch football on TV … college and pro football became her passion as her mobility declined. Super bowl weekend was always greeted with mixed emotions as there would be no more football ’til the fall. We got her the Dean Martin TV show collection DVDs, hoping they would provide some off-season relief and she took to them immediately.
Dean became her companion …
For the last couple of years of Bernie’s life Dean was my mom’s best friend. Not in a weird psycho way or anything, she just loved seeing and hearing the happy-go-lucky, fun loving guy Dean was … he made her feel good, remember good times dancing and carousing in better days.
At the end…Bernie’s body finally gave out in the summer of 2004. When it was clear she wasn’t coming home from the hospital this time, all she really wanted and responded to was Dean. My brother and I got her some comfortable headphones and we loaded up all the Dean Martin LPs in my collection on an iPod for her.
After about 24 hours, I was concerned that it was too much for her, but when I lifted the headphones off and asked if she wanted some quiet to sleep … she could hardly respond but with her eyes and the tinniest shake of the head she made it clear that she wanted Dean to hold her hand all the way out.
Greg and I stood vigil for the next two nights, keeping the music playing … making sure her favorites “Go! Go! Go! Go!”, “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head’ and “Mambo Italiano” were prominently in the mix.
Dean quite literally reached down, took my mom by the hand and escorted her to a place where she can dance again … and maybe catch Dean, Frank and Sam on stage. God, let it be so.
Someday soon…
OK, I’m getting misty here and need to quit. One last thing … I plan to catch a Deana Martin show this year. When I do, I hope I have a chance to tell her how great her dad was to my mom. Bernie never met Dean and yet he helped her so much — at her time of greatest need.
Thanks for letting me drop a personal emotion bomb on you … whew, done now.
A wonderful post DMP esp this week of Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for and this is such a heartfelt post! I loom forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve for the rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteHave a great holiday week my friend.
Scott
Hey pallie, likes Scotty-o, thanks very much and yes it is wonderful to be able to share, as youse sez, "such a heartfelt post" inspirin' all us Dino-holics to ponder the many many ways we are all thankful for our most most beloved Dino! Keeps lovin' our one, our only DINO!
ReplyDeleteMan o man, pallies...that story gets me every year! So sad yet SO SO cool at the same time! I mean, who better than Dino to lead each & every one of us into the Promise Land?!!! Great post that I look forward to every year! Thanks for bringin' it our way, DMP.
ReplyDeleteHey pallie, likes Danny-o, of no surprise, we had the same sort of feelin's as you express when we get ready to share these truly truly touchin' 'n tender thoughts each and every year in GIVING DINO THANKS! Keeps lovin' 'n sharin' our most most beloved DINO!
ReplyDeleteOur Dino: good for the soul!
ReplyDeleteHey pallie, likes Miss AOW...our Dino always good for all of us at all times, all places, and all circumstances! Keeps lovin' our one, our only DINO!
ReplyDelete