Fund Little Joys, a poetic tribute to my Mom

But know that I am there,

hiding in the little joys.

For the things that make you smile,

make me smile in heaven too.

- an excerpt from Little Joys.

My name is Lisa Paulos and I dabble in poetry and writing. I lost my beautiful Mother, Jeannie, to Alzheimer's this past January 2024. She lived with the disease for many years, surrounded by the love of our family, and I was blessed and honored to be on the journey with her as a caregiver.

The journey of losing a parent to Alzheimer's is heartbreaking. And in processing that loss, I took pen to paper and wrote. I wrote for most of the caregiving journey - short poems, sweet notes, and simple musings. I found a safe space to share my words with family and friends on Instagram at daughter_caregiver. Writing comforted me. Words were a release.

On January 20th, my Mom took her last breath on Earth. And in the space of grief, the waves of loss that hit you every day, something beautiful came.

A poem. An offering. A reflection of a child losing her Mother.

And what was once a page in a notebook that started as a flood of words through wet eyes riddled with tears, is now finding its way to an illustrator, TullipStudio, to be brought to life.

Please be advised, I am not the next Dr. Seuss. It's not the next bestseller.

But it's a story from my heart. A story about grief. A story about finding the loved ones you lost in the little joys [strawberry ice cream, lilac bushes, clouds, and stars].

Your contribution helps me honor my Mom. She put hours and hours into editing my papers and writings as a kid, encouraging me to write, and sharing how proud she was of me when things got printed/published. I would love to continue to make her proud.

You can read more about my wonderful Mother, Jeannie Marie Paulos at https://www.simplycremationaz.com/obituary/jeannie-marie-paulos/

All contributions go to illustrator fees and self-publication. Any additional funds will go towards the next project, a book of poems [there are a lot of them].