Transitioning from present tense to past tense: How we talk about our parents.
Back in December, I started talking about how my mom really loves Christmas. That it's her favorite holiday. And half-way through, as the words were coming out of my mouth, I realized that I felt really strange. 'Does she love Christmas' or 'did she love Christmas'? 'Is it her favorite holiday' or 'was it her favorite holiday'? She's been gone for 2 1/2 years... So, does telling a story about our parents mean we have to feel uncomfortable every time?