00:00 I know that, you know, I've talked a lot about my family,
00:03 and, like, family means so much to me,
00:05 and I did want to let you know a little bit more about my mom.
00:08 I love that.
00:09 And I feel like she's really shaped, like,
00:11 the person who I am.
00:13 Um...
00:15 I think that -- Well, just to start, you know,
00:17 like, my mom and dad, they met in the military.
00:19 Mm-hmm.
00:20 They were both military police officers,
00:22 and my mom, she was Soldier of the Year multiple times.
00:25 Wow. Yeah.
00:26 And then whenever I was born, she got out of the Army.
00:29 Then, um...
00:31 she -- Sorry. I'm sorry.
00:33 It's okay, it's all right.
00:34 No, she, um...
00:36 She's just, like, such an amazing woman,
00:38 and she's so caring,
00:40 and, like, she brought so much light
00:43 into any room that she walked into.
00:45 And, like, her energy was just so positive.
00:49 And, um, then about 10 years ago,
00:53 she got diagnosed with breast cancer
00:56 and it, um, metastasized, like, on her bones.
01:00 [ Sighs ]
01:04 Sorry.
01:07 But then they, like, gave her six months.
01:10 [ Sighs ]
01:13 And after that, um, it was just very aggressive,
01:17 and after, I think, about two months, she passed away.
01:21 Um...
01:23 [ Sighs ]
01:26 It's okay.
01:28 ♪
01:31 I think that this is, like, a little hard
01:33 just because I'm, like -- I know that, like, at the end,
01:36 it is an engagement, and it's just hard for me
01:39 sometimes to think about, like, my mom, like,
01:41 not being there at my wedding.
01:44 I know.
01:46 Like, the special moments, but what was, like, really cool
01:50 was, um, I -- I know, like, I asked her, I was like,
01:53 "Do you believe in signs?"
01:55 And, like, whenever I see butterflies,
01:57 it feels like it's my mom there.
01:59 And, um, right before I came on here,
02:01 I got off work and I was walking down
02:03 and I saw butterflies in the middle
02:05 of the city of New Orleans.
02:07 And I don't know, that kind of was reassuring to me.
02:10 And on the way to the airport,
02:12 I was on the phone with my dad, and I was like,
02:15 "What do you think Mom would think about all this?"
02:17 And he told me, he was like...
02:20 Sorry.
02:22 Don't be apologizing. I'm right here.
02:24 ♪
02:27 He was like, "You're your mother's child."
02:29 He was like, "You're so brave."
02:32 He was like, "That's something your mom would do."
02:34 Like, he just felt like I was exuding, like, my mom's energy.
02:38 Like how you're describing her, I can see it 100%.
02:42 I'm sure your mom would be more than proud of you
02:45 because you describe her as someone
02:47 that was always thinking of others and giving.
02:50 And that's the only thing I see when I talk to you
02:53 and see you around, so I'm sure your mom would be more than proud.
02:56 Thank you.
02:58 - Thank you for sharing that. - That's okay.
03:00 - Want a hug? - [laughs]
03:02 ♪
03:06 Opening up to Joey about my mom is very special.
03:10 For sure.
03:13 I think that, like, my mom's story in my life,
03:15 like, is so significant and special to me
03:17 that it has, like, shaped me into who I am.
03:20 Felt really nice, like, him telling me that, like,
03:23 the qualities that I described in my mom
03:25 was something that he saw in me. 00:01:59.033,00:00:00.000 ♪
03:27 [sniffles]
03:29 [sniffles]
03:30 [sniffles]
03:31 ♪
03:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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