Mona

Today would have been my sister Mona's birthday. She lost her battle with mental illness nearly five years ago. Mona's life was quite often one of crippling sadness. Since losing her, we sometimes have to sift through memories for those rare moments in her later years when she seemed happy.

During her funeral, I spoke of her hearty laugh; a laugh passed down through generations of Rinehart women. My mother certainly possesses it as did my grandmother, my Aunt Bonnie and her daughters; all of them brightening up whatever room they may be in with that warm laughter. Mona's laugh came less and less in her later years but still it was there and when it arrived it was beautiful to behold.

Many years ago, my parents and I visited Mona's home in Toledo, Ohio for a weekend stay. She prepared us a meal of Chicken Divan, a comforting casserole that was an instant hit among all of us. For a few, short blissful moments we ate and laughed heartily. Following the meal, we barely began the cleanup when the evening inevitably deteoriated as it nearly always did due to her illness.

In retrospect, I find myself picking out the good moments and trying to shape them into one cohesive, positive memory. Easier said than done. So, I try to go back to the simple things...the laughter, catching a movie together or the simple shared meal. She loved It's A Wonderful Life and watched it every year. We would watch the old Streisand film What's Up Doc together a hundred times over and love it every time. She dated an Italian man named Victor who made one of the most memorable meals I'd ever had. She was bound and determined to sneak a peek at every wrapped Christmas present.She introduced me to Saturday Night Live...the first sketch being Julia Child saving the liver and after my jaw dropped I laughed until I cried. In those few moments, I can still find my sister...the way I choose to remember her.

The photo is of a framed greeting card that was made for Mona's funeral. The framed card was created by the folks at SW Resources, a non-profit rehabilitation facility that employs people with disabilities. Mona was involved with this group in her final years. One division called Cardability creates unique greeting cards handmade with an antique letterpress. SW created a wonderful and witty line of cards called the Mona Collection inspired by my sister. The framed card was one of those autographed by some of the clients.

http://swresources.com/index.html

The following is Mona's recipe for Chicken Divan:

Ingredients

4 cups cooked broccoli florets
1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 regular can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup(or Campbells' Broccoli Cheese)
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons bread crumbs or 4-6 crushed saltines
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

Place chicken and broccoli in 9-inch pie plate.
Stir milk and soup in small bowl
Pour soup mixture over broccoli and chicken.
Sprinkle with the cheese.
Sprinkle bread crumbs or crushed saltines over the cheese.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.