Scott Simon, host of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Saturday,” spent this past weekend telling a more personal story: a narrative of his mother’s journey toward death.
From Patricia Lyons Simon Newman Gilband’s bedside in a Chicago hospital, Simon, a former Weekend TODAY anchor, has been tweeting updates, anecdotes and reflections to his 1.2 million Twitter followers since Saturday.
She died late Monday night.
"Heart rate dropping. Heart dropping," Simon tweeted at around 8 p.m., before writing, "The heavens over Chicago have opened and Patricia Lyons Simon Newman has stepped onstage."
The tweets had been incredibly intimate, ranging from heartbreaking to flat-out funny. Mostly, though, they reflected the love of a son for his mother.
NPR aired an interview between Simon and his mother in 2008, “A Son, His Mom and a Story about a Dog,” where Pat admitted that she once pretended to be blind to sneak her dog into an upscale restaurant. The lighthearted recollection revealed where Scott got his storytelling skills from; their exchange highlighted their close bond.
“It's been a beautiful journey knowing you,” Pat told her son, causing him to cry.
“I cry all the time, too,” he said. “Where did I get that from?”
“I don't know. And I love you, sweetheart. Stop crying.”
See Simon's touching missives below.