(Composed and performed by Reynold D. Philipsek copyright 2007, 2024 Zino-Rephi Music BMI)
Recorded by Stymie Seamans
My mother (Evelyn) often used a very unique expression when something shocked or astonished her. In those situations she would exclaim, “Holy Fright”. I heard her use that phrase often growing up.
Flash forward many years. My mother lived to be 92 years old but, unfortunately, she suffered from dementia the last six years of her life. As a result she eventually came to live in a “memory care” unit.
As her dementia progressed she stopped speaking all together and it is doubtful that she still recognized me.
One day (as I visited her at the facility) a new patient in the memory care unit was wheeled in. This woman was very agitated. Mind you, no one had heard my mother speak a word in about two years at the time. This new patient was acting up quite a bit. At that moment my mother suddenly turned to me, chuckled and said “Holy Fright”. It was the only thing anyone had heard her say in a long time and the very last thing I ever heard her say.
There was something amusing and poignant about this episode. So I wrote this short piece to honor this last utterance. I play this one quite a bit not only because of the backstory but it also is a nice little workout in G Major.
Stay well.
Happy New Year.
Be kind.
Love,
Reyn