My wonderful Mom, Sheila Clements Murray, turned 80 last December and so on the day after Thanksgiving last year, 10 of Mom’s 13 Clements-Tuma-Harper grandkids gathered in my brother, Mike’s home in Chicago and we all made a funny and touching video to celebrate Mom (and grandma)–and two of the three others sent in video clips that I was able to include. My sister, Katie, had the great idea to “re-create” a number of “scenes” from Mom’s life–scenes that were significant or just plain funny. We settled on 14 scenes, and the kids had a great time acting them out. Kelsey, an actor and one of the older grandkids, had put together a script of sorts and off we went. The process was a lot of work but fun as heck, as I think the video shows. Oh, and it was a surprise to Mom when Mike unveiled it at a gathering for Mom on her actual birthday. It’s sorta hard to believe no one spilled the beans to Mom in the few weeks between the shooting of the video and Mom’s actual birthday–not even Mom’s youngest grandchild, Nieve, Mike’s youngest, whom Mom and Bud babysit quit a bit. Nieve is 5 and a talker, but she never said a word to Mom about the video!
Well done all around, for sure. Oh, and whomever of the grandkids is wearing the 1970s blazer (which Katie borrowed–or maybe liberated–from Mom’s closet) is Mom in that scene.
Cue the blazer!
Bill Clements
From as far back as he can remember, Bill has been listening to and telling stories. He loves talking with people, hearing about their lives and then making something memorable with what results. He’s spent 30 years in Chicago and the Twin Cities as a journalist writing stories for publications including Chicago magazine, the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine and Finance and Commerce. A graduate of Columbia University, Bill has long loved taking still photos. About 10 years ago (on the side, at first), Bill grew fascinated with the possibilities of storytelling through video-making. He is thrilled to be combining his longtime love of people and words and stories with his newer passion for capturing it all on video. Plus, for better or worse, Bill is a staunch, lifelong Cubs fan.