December 1990.
At a mall theater in central Oklahoma, my 13-year-old sister Monica and I sat and watched the movie Home Alone. It was a tough winter. Our older sister was about to be deployed with her Army unit to assist with Operation Desert Storm. Her newborn son was less than a month old and would be living with and cared for by my parents and Monica and me. A lot of tears were shed that winter, not only because of the uncertainties of having our big sister, at 19 years old, serve in the military effort on the other side of the world. No, there were happy tears, too.
Monica and I sat in a packed theater, marveling at a little boy named Kevin and his dear mom who traveled cross-country by airplane and bus to get to her son who had accidentally been left home alone. The story of a child left behind could have been heartbreaking had it not been for the comedic genius of clever Kevin, two bumbling thieves trying to break into Kevin’s home, and Kevin’s hysterical but loving mom, played by the wonderfully talented Catherine O’Hara.
All those years ago in the small Oklahoma theater, Moni and I escaped into this funny, heartwarming movie. We laughed with tears in our eyes. Although Kevin was the film’s focal character, Catherine O’Hara’s performance anchored the movie with humor and heart. She brought hope.
Rest in peace, beautiful Catherine. Thank you for the laughs.
Rest in peace, beautiful Monica. Thank you for the memories.
Lipreading Mom 