2500 characters??? You've got to be kidding...

Wow! I did it! Some of you know that my mom & her sister were recently on a radio show to tell the story of my late grandmother being crowned "Queen for a Day" & my mom's journey to find a special souvenir of that day for my grandma. I was able to go with her to the taping in NC which was really fun. It is an awesome story, and I just couldn't resist the urge to send an email to my mom's favorite show "Live with Regis and Kelly". They have a Mother's Day special every year, and I know this story would be a great Mother's Day tribute. Of course, I had to convince them of this in 2500 characters or less (not words, but characters...spaces, letters, aahhhhhh!). It was difficult, but I finally whittled it down as much as I could without ruining it completely. I want to share it on my blog in hopes that you might enjoy the story too and send out some "positive energy" to the universe & the Regis show so they'll want to use it!!! (It's about 30 minutes if you click the link to listen to it...but a well spent 30 minutes!) No one tells it better than my mom. The love that she has for my grandmother radiates through the sound waves as you listen to this story unfold. Here's my email to the show & few pictures....

“Would you like to be QUEEN for a DAY?” These were the words my grandmother, Evelyn Stuart, heard 50 years ago before being crowned “Queen” out of 25 other women who shared their stories of hardship and hopes for a better tomorrow. After telling their heartfelt stories, each woman was asked to share one wish she would like to be granted. Evelyn, mother of nine children and nine months pregnant with her tenth, told of the tragic loss of their seven-year old son and the devastating fire that destroyed their home. They moved to California for a “change of luck” and dreamed of winning “Queen for a Day”. She wished to receive “300 springs” and a drill to use in the construction of “The Bunny Hop”, a new baby swing she had created. Evelyn hoped the success of her “Bunny Hop” would relieve the family of financial burdens. Not only was my grandmother’s wish granted, but their family received several prizes: a washer, a range, a bedroom set, but most of all, a life-changing moment she and her family would cherish forever. Only 15 days later, Evelyn gave birth to a baby girl, my mother.

My mother grew up hearing about her mom being crowned "Queen" and knew what a special memory that was in her mother’s life. Over the last several years, my grandmother's health began to deteriorate. In an effort to commemorate this moment in her mother’s life, my mom, Debra Cotich, was determined to find a special souvenir from the show. More than anything, she wanted to find footage from the actual show my grandmother appeared on. After years of searching, she finally came in contact with the president of “Queen for a Day”, Mr. Ray Morgan Jr. in Hollywood. It was he who confirmed the footage did not exist.

As a consolation for my mom’s heartfelt request, Mr. Morgan sent her a rare souvenir photo of a “Queen for a Day” audience. He did not know the date the photo was taken. He only knew it was from the same decade my grandmother had appeared on the show. My mom was elated to receive this photo, however, her state of excitement turned to one of complete disbelief when she discovered that her mother was one of the women pictured in the audience!

My mother was able to share this amazing story on a radio program recently. For more info & pictures, visit this link. What a wonderful tribute it would be to mothers everywhere to feature this awesome story on your Mother’s Day special. It would truly be a wish come true for my mom!

Keep your fingers crossed!!! :)

The famous photo...



My mom with the radio show host, Dick Gordon, and the producer, Denise.