Theresa: TODAY THE CAPUTOS ARE HERE TO LEND A HELPING HAND.
♪♪
Shanon: HELLO. COME ON IN.
OH, HI. HOW ARE YOU?
WE'RE THE CAPUTO FAMILY. HI. I'M SHANON.
I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND DIETICIAN HERE.
TODAY YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE SERVING DINNER.
WE SERVE UP TO 500 PEOPLE A DAY,
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF FACES TODAY.
Larry Jr.: ARE WE DOING ALL THESE ONIONS?
Theresa: YES.
I'M TRYING TO BE A GOOD VOLUNTEER.
BUT OF COURSE, SPIRIT'S TAKEN OVER.
WHOSE MOM HAS PASSED?
OH. IT'S YOUR MOM.
MY NAME IS THERESA.
AND OUR FAMILY TODAY IS VOLUNTEERING,
SO IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU.
Ali: I NEVER BELIEVED IN MEDIUMS.
IT'S SOMETHING I JUST PAY -- I NEVER PAID IT NO MIND.
WAS YOUR MOM ALWAYS SO PROUD OF YOU?
SHE'S CRYING. "THIS IS MY BOY."
SHE'S SO PROUD OF YOU.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE MY MOTHER.
SO PROUD OF YOU.
SHE'S, LIKE, THE MAIN REASON
WHY I WORK FOR THE FOOD BANK, YOU KNOW?
AND SHE WAS JUST A KIND PERSON.
SHE WOULD HELP THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUT.
DID YOU JUST MOVE?
YES.
SO, PLEASE KNOW IT'S HER WAY OF ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT SHE KNOWS THAT YOU MOVED
AND TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR THAT.
THAT'S CRAZY RIGHT THERE.
DID YOU NOT SEE YOUR MOTHER BEFORE SHE DIED?
OH, WOW. Shanon: WOW.
THAT'S CRAZY.
SHE JUST WANTS YOU TO KNOW
THAT SHE DOES NOT WANT YOU TO FEEL BAD ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO, BUT SHE SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT.
♪♪
HE'S OKAY. HE JUST NEEDS A MINUTE.
AM I GONNA BE ABLE TO COME BACK?
I THINK YOU JUST SURPRISED HIM.
YOU SURPRISED HIM. WOW.
I KNOW. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
Ali: IT'S BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE MY MOM PASSED AWAY.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL
AND VISIT MY MOTHER THAT SAME DAY,
AND I DIDN'T GO,
SO ONCE WE SHE SAID THAT, THAT BLEW ME AWAY.
MY HEART JUST DROPPED, AND THE TEARS JUST CAME DOWN.
I'M ALL RIGHT. IT JUST WAS LIKE -- IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I'M SORRY.
I WASN'T GONNA GO THERE,
BUT YOUR MOM TALKED ABOUT HOW PROUD SHE WAS OF YOU.
SHE STARTED YELLING IN YOUR HEAD,
LIKE, "SAY SOMETHING TO MY SON"?
NO, SHE SAID, "PLEASE JUST TELL HIM THAT I DON'T WANT TO FEEL
THAT HE WASN'T THERE FOR ME IN THE END."
SHE SAYS, "I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LET GO IF HE WAS THERE."
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
THANK YOU.
♪♪
OH, GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE. WE BOTH WORE RED.
HOW ARE YOU? HELLO. HOW ARE YOU?
HOW ARE YOU? MERRY CHRISTMAS.
HELLO. HOW ARE YOU?
OH, YOU DON'T LOOK TOO THRILLED TO SEE ME.
[ LAUGHTER ]
MY NAME IS CARMINE,
AND MY SISTER ROSEMARIE'S HOSTING THE READING TONIGHT.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN MEDIUMS BECAUSE I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT
THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T --
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO QUESTION WHAT HAPPENS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
YOUR MOM IS DEPARTED?
YEAH.
SHE SAYS, "I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER ME COOKING."
WHAT'S WITH THE PEAS AND PASTA?
SHE USED TO MAKE IT ALL THE TIME. I HATED THAT DISH.
WELL, NO.
YEAH, WELL, THAT WAS MY --
IT WAS PROBABLY HIS FAVORITE.
WELL, THIS WAS HIS FAVORITE,
AND SHE'S MAKING ME EAT IT RIGHT NOW,
SO YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
DO YOU LIVE IN THE HOUSE THAT YOU SHARED WITH MOM?
YEAH. OKAY.
'CAUSE SHE MAKES ME FEEL LIKE THAT'S HARD FOR YOU.
I FEEL -- YOUR MOTHER MADE ME FEEL
LIKE YOU LOST EVERYTHING.
I KNOW THAT'S HARD BECAUSE I --
LOOK, I DON'T MEAN TO CALL YOU OUT ON YOUR FEELINGS.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? YEAH.
WHAT BETTER WAY TO VALIDATE THAT YOUR MOTHER HASN'T LEFT YOU?
RIGHT.
THERESA LOOKS YOU DEAD IN THE EYE,
AND SHE TELLS YOU THINGS THAT NOBODY KNOWS.
THIS IS YOUR MOTHER'S WAY OF VALIDATING HOW YOU FEEL
AND KNOWS HOW HARD IT IS FOR YOU,
BUT KNOWING THAT HER SOUL IS STILL WITH YOU.
WHETHER YOU'RE A BELIEVER, NONBELIEVER, WHATEVER,
IT TOUCHES SOMEWHERE.
IT'S YOUR HEART, YOUR MIND, WHATEVER.
SO, I WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS,
HAPPY HANUKAH,
AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY,
A HAPPY AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR.
THANK YOU.
♪♪
HOW ARE YOU? I'M THERESA.
I'M PATTY. NICE TO MEET YOU.
HI. NICE TO MEET YOU.
I'M A LITTLE OVERWHELMED.
I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GONNA BE THIS OVERWHELMED
CHRISTMAS-TREE SHOPPING.
I'M A MEDIUM, WHICH MEANS THAT I'M ABLE
TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE CROSSED OVER.
OKAY.
I FEEL LIKE YOU DO THINGS THAT YOUR DAD USED TO DO.
I DO.
THIS IS WHAT HE USED TO DO.
HE USED TO MAKE WREATHS AND SWAGS
AND GRAVE BLANKETS IN HEMPSTEAD.
AND...
NOW YOU DO THAT! I DO IT NOW.
OH, MY GOD.
DO YOU HANG THE ORNAMENT IN MEMORY OF YOUR DAD?
HE'S SHOWING ME AN ORNAMENT WITH A DOVE ON IT
IN MEMORY OF HIM.
IT'S HIS DOVE FROM HIS FUNERAL.
IT'S HIS DOVE.
DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR DAD'S JACKET?
YES.
'CAUSE HE GOES, "TELL HER TO GO GET MY JACKET."
I GO, "WELL, WHERE'S YOUR JACKET?"
I GO, "I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR JACKET IS."
YEAH, IT'S AT HOME -- HIS FIREMAN'S JACKET.
SO YOU'VE KEPT HIS JACKET. YEAH.
AND IS THERE SOME TYPE OF PATCH FALLING OFF,
AND THEN YOU PUT A PATCH ON?
I DON'T KNOW.
THERE WAS A RIP IN IT.
AND DID YOU REPAIR IT?
YEAH. PERFECT.
THERE WAS A PATCH THAT WAS FALLING OFF,
AND I SEWED IT BACK ON
BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY THING I REALLY HAVE --
A TANGIBLE PIECE OF HIM.
YOUR DAD SAYS,
"SHE JUST NEEDS TO KNOW THAT I HAVEN'T LEFT HER."
HE SAYS, "I NEVER WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT WAY.
JUST KNOW THAT I AM SITTING RIGHT BESIDE YOU."
I FELT MY DAD HERE TODAY, AND I MISS HIM.
THANK YOU.
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME, BUT DON'T THANK ME.
THANK YOUR DAD.
HE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB OF STILL VALIDATING HIS PRESENCE.
THERESA'S READING TODAY IS GOING TO MAKE MY CHRISTMAS
A LOT MORE JOYOUS AND BRING FAMILY BACK TOGETHER.
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS. BYE-BYE.
♪♪