A Tribute to our Mama Doe

While in Texas, we received the phone call we’d been dreading. TC’s Mama Doe passed away after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. She was adventurous, thoughtful, and as witty as they come.

Meeting Mama Doe

I met Mama Doe well before T and I started actually dating. While studying abroad with TC’s sister, Ellie, I heard all about Mama Doe. I felt like I knew her before I even met her, and I knew we’d get along perfectly! I met Mama Doe at our school homecoming. I walked up to her and hugged her like we were old friends. That’s how Mama Doe was. She never met a stranger, and was the most welcoming soul. You instantly felt her love. She knew way before T and I that we were perfect for each other! I’m sure glad she was right!

I always felt Mama Doe and I were somewhat of kindred spirits. We found delight in the same things: flowers, the outdoors, putting our toes in any body of water we come across, traveling. Once I officially joined the family, I created my own special bond with her and soaked in all her love and stories.

Wedding Gift

Mama Doe was known for being the best secret keeper, and we can attest to that. She was one of the only people that knew we were eloping and was one of only three people in attendance. The officiant and one other witness. She knew we were sad that we had to postpone our actual wedding and wanted everything to be perfect for our big day. When we showed up, there was a fancy tablecloth on the kitchen table, little ham sandwiches and mimosas. She was wearing the sweater we’d given her at Christmas the week before and was giddy with excitement. It was the perfect morning and we were so thankful she could be part of such a big day in our lives.

Mama Doe was excited for our life on the road! She was one of our biggest cheerleaders. She clipped newspaper articles about good hikes for us to go on while on the road, and she always wanted to hear about what part of the build we were working on at the time. We were thankful she was even able to see the van before we left. Mama Doe absolutely LOVED to travel and couldn’t wait for us to experience everything life had to offer.

A few weeks after we eloped (and finally told our family!), Mama Doe invited us to brunch to celebrate. She’d been working on our wedding present and was excited to give it to us. We opened up the box to a handwritten letter explaining the gift and the cutest floral tablecloth.

A Gift from Aunt Minnie

In 1959, Mama Does’ Aunt Minnie gave her a tablecloth . Mama Doe was thankful, but wasn’t sure what she would do with the tablecloth. It sat around for a little while, before she started taking it on her adventures. Mama Doe took the tablecloth to all 50 states and the 13 Providences of Canada. It’s been to picnics on the side of the road, and kept babies warm when it was cold.

Mama Doe gifted us the tablecloth so that we could carry on its legacy. She knew we were the people for the job. We plan to take it back to all 50 states, 13 Providences and all 7 continents.

Celebrating Mama Doe

Our next stop after hearing the news was Hot Springs, Arkansas. We debated on skipping it and heading straight back to NC, but after much discussion, we decided to go ahead with our original plans. We had a campground spot reserved by the lake. The wilderness is the first place we run when we are heartbroken. It heals our souls. We spent the weekend right where we needed to be. Most of all, we spent the weekend celebrating our Mama Doe. We sat by the campfire and reminisced on our favorite Mama Doe stories, hiked up a mountain that overlooked the lake, and stuck our toes in a cold creek. Some of her (and our) favorite things!

Moving forward, you’ll notice the special tablecloth on our adventures, and we will continue to stick our toes in every body of water we can find as we honor the spunky woman that trailblazed these roads and adventures before us. We are so thankful for Mama Doe, her love, and her excitement and support. The world grew a little darker when she passed, but we know she is looking down on us with a twinkle in her eye (and maybe a hint of mischievousness).

Cheers to Mama Doe - to the one that loved, adventured, and cheered so hard. May we all be a little more like her every day. <3