Retirement with Sheri & Randy is where two siblings share honest conversations about life after 60—family, purpose, regrets, laughter, caregiving, second chances, and the stories that shape who we become.
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In January 2019, Mom sat down with me for what was simply supposed to be an interview for my podcast.
None of us knew that years later, this recording would become something much more.
This week marks three years since we lost Mom, and today her voice feels like a gift she never knew she was leaving behind.
It's a gift for me, for my brothers and sisters, for her grandchildren, and for everyone in our family who loved her and misses her.
We get to hear her again.
We get to hear her tell stories about her childhood and family. We get to hear her sense of humor, her opinions, the memories she could still reach, and even the little everyday exchanges that didn't seem important at the time—but mean so much now.
And we get to hear Mom tell us, in her own words, how she hoped she would be remembered.
The original interview was recorded while Mom was living with dementia. I've gently edited it for this tribute, not to erase that part of her story, but because today my reason for sharing it is different.
Today, I simply want us to have some time with Mom again.
The episode ends with “I Still Talk to You,” a song I wrote for her after she was gone.
Maybe this episode will also be a reminder to record the people you love. Their stories. Their laughter. Their voices. Even the completely ordinary conversations.
Because sometimes we don't realize we're preserving a memory while we're making it.
To my brothers and sisters, to Mom's grandchildren, and to everyone who loved her—this one's for all of us.
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Want more Retirement between episodes? Check out my Sheri's book on Amazon: 👉 https://a.co/d/bUDtNIU It’s honest, hilarious, and healing — just like the podcast
This week marks three years since my mom passed away. And I've been thinking a lot about something I said to her many years ago. I'm here to remember for you. In January of 2019, when Cheropee was just beginning, I sat down with my mom and interviewed her about living with dementia. At the time, I wanted people to hear what dementia really looked like. The forgotten names, the memories that were still there, and the ones that weren't, the confusion, and those wonderful little moments where mom was simply mom. But seven years later, and three years after losing her, this recording means something completely different to me. Now it's now it's a way for me to remember her. I get to hear her voice again. I get to hear her laugh, her sense of humor, the way she would always answer a question, the little conversations between a mother and a daughter that seemed so ordinary at the time. And maybe that's one of the strange ironies of dementia. I made this recording because my mom was losing her memories. I never realized that someday it would help me hold on to mine. There's a moment in this interview when mom tells me she doesn't remember something, and I tell her, I'm here to remember for you. I didn't know how much those words would eventually mean. But now that she's gone, I'm still remembering for her. But I'm also remembering for me. She said she wanted to be remembered by her family, by the people she loved, and as someone who helped people. And we remember you for so much more. I've sorry. I've ended the original 2019 interview a little different this time. Back then, the pauses, the struggles to remember were important because I wanted people to understand the reality of dementia. That's not why I'm sharing it today. Today I just want to hear my mom. And maybe if you've lost someone you love, you'll understand why sometimes hearing a voice again can mean everything. At the end, you'll hear a song I wrote for her called I Still Talk to You. Because three years later, I I still do. So, Mom, this one's for you. You don't have to remember anymore. I'll remember for both of us. This is my mom, Georgine. Can you talk into the microphone, Mom?
SPEAKER_02
Oh, yeah, well, talk about.
SPEAKER_03
Talk about your feet.
SPEAKER_02
My feet? I got big feet. They hurt all the time. That's it for that. They don't do anything else but walk.
SPEAKER_03
Hi, I'm Sherry Todd, a former DJ, now a podcaster. Every week I hope to take you on an adventure that informs, inspires, and starts conversations. I want to get honest and I want to get to the heart of life and love. There's gonna be good days, bad days, good shows, bad shows. And just like life, we have to figure it out. And I want to figure it out loud. Welcome to Sheropee. Welcome to episode three of Sheropee. I'm Sherry Todd, and that was my mom helping out there with some sound checks. She's gonna be a part of our show today. And our show today is about dementia and caregivers. And I'm gonna interview my mom, and um she's had dementia for about three years, and I'm just gonna kind of give you a taste of how it's affected her memory and her thought process. I'm here with my mom, Georgine. Hi, mom. Thank you for joining me today for this interview. Um, today we're gonna talk about your dementia and how it's affected your everyday life. So can you tell us a little bit how you think it's affected you in any way?
SPEAKER_02
No. I don't I don't I don't uh I just my mind's not working on that. I don't see any problems.
SPEAKER_03
You don't you don't think you have any um memory problems or memory problems are not real bad. Well, can I ask you uh what day it is? Um Monday? No. Tuesday?
SPEAKER_02
No, it's Sunday. Sunday? Yeah, Sunday. Oh that's why we went around it on Saturday. Yes.
SPEAKER_03
Do you know what month we're in?
SPEAKER_02
No. I'm not sure.
SPEAKER_03
Do you know the year? No. Do you know who our president is?
SPEAKER_02
No.
SPEAKER_03
You don't know who our president is?
SPEAKER_02
No. I probably do, but it's not coming out.
SPEAKER_03
That's probably a good thing. Um, well, you know, let's let's talk about some stuff that maybe you can remember. Um talk about um your mom and dad. Do you have like any happy memories of your mom and dad, things that they've done you're like really proud of, and are you know just happy memories that you used to have with your mom and dad?
SPEAKER_02
Not very many. I guess the biggest memory I have with my mom is taking me and picking me up from school because I was so proud of how beautiful she was. My dad. He just wasn't around that much. He was out of town most of the time, so I don't I didn't have a relationship with him until later on after I was an adult. And uh I had a good relationship with when he died.
SPEAKER_03
What about uh your brothers?
SPEAKER_02
Uh I don't remember a lot of stuff anymore.
SPEAKER_03
What about Noggles when you used to work at Noggles?
SPEAKER_02
Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_03
I know.
SPEAKER_02
Do you remember I was a manager?
SPEAKER_03
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02
I remember that. I remember I have to I worked nights when I first started working there. And I had to walk all the way home like two or three o'clock in the morning. When hiding through the bushes, going through the park. It was scary. Then Tammy found a car for me.
SPEAKER_03
It was grandpa.
SPEAKER_02
No, it wasn't Tammy. No.
SPEAKER_03
Grandpa, we were young mom. When you started working for Noggles, we were um we were still in high school. So it was grandpa got you the car.
SPEAKER_02
I don't remember my dad giving me a car.
SPEAKER_03
Tammy did get you a car. Yeah, he paid for it. He got you a car. Tammy got you a car years later. Really?
SPEAKER_02
I don't remember that at all.
SPEAKER_03
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02
Oh, I couldn't remember running through the bushes at night.
SPEAKER_03
Well, that's why grandpa got you a car, so you wouldn't run through the bushes anymore.
SPEAKER_02
I understand that, but I just like I said I don't really I don't remember an awful lot of stuff with my dad.
SPEAKER_03
What about Aunt Charlotte? I know you were close with Aunt Charlotte. Aunt Charlotte was my love. And you she was your cousin. She was my sister. Yeah, and you guys used to do a lot together. Do you remember any? Do you remember any crazy stuff you guys used to do together? Other than going to bars.
SPEAKER_02
Well, we didn't do that too often.
SPEAKER_03
And what were some of the crazy stuff you did, Aunt Charlie? Do you remember? I know you guys went to Vegas a lot.
SPEAKER_02
Yeah, I went to Vegas. We just I don't went to movies. Um watched TV, played games. She was just always there for me. You know, if I was having a problem, man, she was right there. And uh her husband hated me. She spent so much time taking care of me.
SPEAKER_03
I I don't think he hated you. I think he loved you.
SPEAKER_02
Oh yes. He hated me. Believe me.
SPEAKER_03
I I don't know anything about that, but when they would hate you. How could anybody hate you, Mom? You know?
SPEAKER_02
Yes, people do hate, honey.
SPEAKER_03
I know they hate mom, but I don't I can't see. I don't think you've had a lot of enemies in your life.
SPEAKER_02
No, I didn't, but I know he was.
SPEAKER_03
Believe me. Okay. Now what about birthdays? Do you remember birthdays? Do you remember your birthday? When you were born? Do you know the day you were born?
unknown
No.
SPEAKER_03
Yeah. Sure. No, I mean the date. Do you know? May 1535. There you go. Do you know my birthday?
SPEAKER_02
No.
SPEAKER_03
I don't remember anybody's birthdays. That's okay, because I have it all written down for you, Mom, so in case I need to know about it. Like today, today's grandpa's birthday, your dad's birthday.
SPEAKER_02
I didn't know that.
SPEAKER_03
And uh Giselle's birthday came and you tried to call her, but um if you're listening, Janelle, grandma tried to call, but your voicemail, your voicemail box was full.
SPEAKER_02
Who are you talking about?
SPEAKER_03
Giselle.
SPEAKER_02
Oh, I missed her birthday.
SPEAKER_03
No, you didn't. You called her.
SPEAKER_02
I didn't?
SPEAKER_03
I don't remember talking to her. I know, but her mailbox was full. So you couldn't talk to her. So you I miss her. I left her a message. Well you tried to.
SPEAKER_02
Oh gosh.
SPEAKER_03
And I think she might have called later and you talked to her, but I don't remember that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02
I don't remember anything, Sherry.
SPEAKER_03
I'm here to remember for you.
SPEAKER_02
You're here to remember. Sherry, come anyway. I can't remember.
SPEAKER_03
Yeah, I'm here to remember and and turn your TV on. You know, I this I want to ask you this. I think a lot of people ask themselves this, and uh how do you want to be remembered?
SPEAKER_02
I think I want to be remembered by the my family, the people I love. Be nice and old friends mine, but I haven't had friends in many years.
SPEAKER_03
Yeah, but if you if you want to be remembered, what do you want to be remembered for?
SPEAKER_02
I think. Especially, you know, it's I always help people.
SPEAKER_03
If somebody had a problem or an emergency or That's true, because all my friends used to love come talk to you. Any problem they had, they'd come to you before they went to their home parents. I remember that. You know, as I got older, I still, you know.
SPEAKER_02
I have to say, I'd had a bad life and I had a good life. And the last parts of my years have been good. All good. I'm glad to hear that. All the horror that I went through was not there anymore.
SPEAKER_03
All good. That's a good thing. So I guess we're done. I want to thank you. I want to thank you. Am I thinking? No. I said I want to thank you. Oh, you're welcome. We need to find your we need to find your hearing aids. And I and I I appreciate you coming in my bedroom. Oh, I love it. You traveled all the way from your room to my room. I want to I appreciate that. And I paid for a range. That's right. So thank you, Mom. You're welcome. I love you. I love you too.
SPEAKER_01
It's your birthday, and I'm driving slow past the streets. We used to know radios low, put my thoughts aloud. Like you're sitting here talking somehow. Apple beast starts to lit in red. Past it in a smile at what you did every single time. Same order, same sea. It's a memory that gives me peace. And I've been trying to be okay. Some days to be sideways with a way to come to a breathe. And that's how I guess.
