Interview with Meryl & Charlie's Moms | Golden Skate

Interview with Meryl & Charlie's Moms

TanithandBenFan

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
I did a fun interview with Cheryl Davis and Jacqui White on my blog for Mother's Day! You can read about their competition travels, some Meryl and Charlie costume disasters, and more here. :)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
What a lovely interview! The moms sound like solid, kind people, and you chose some splendid questions that provided great insight into the women's personalities and their kids' careers.
 

clairecloutier

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
Great interview, Jennifer! Thanks for posting it. They sound like really great, supportive moms. It's always interesting to hear about skaters' families. They play such a big role in skaters' lives, yet we tend to hear very little about them.

Interesting that both moms name Samson & Delilah as their favorite D/W program. I have to agree. Meryl & Charlie have had so many amazing programs, but still, for me, nothing has topped Samson & Delilah (even Die Fledermaus). That was one of the most exciting, thrilling programs I've ever seen in skating. Such drama, power, passion, and incredible skill!!
 

ManyCairns

Medalist
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Country
United-States
What a great interview and a super idea for Mother's Day! Isn't it cute how, and not just in their hair color, Meryl's mom kinda looks like Charlie and Charlie's mom is darkly exotic like Meryl?

What grounded people they all seem to be. Lovely.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I had to laugh at the bit about Charlies "demon" costume for the first version of Eleanor Rigby. When I first saw that video clip, I wondered what on earth that costume was about :laugh:

But Meryl's hometown costume lady, Stephanie Miller, does a really wonderful job with their costumes for sure. No wonder they have stayed with her!
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere!

Gotta add that @John CoughlinUSA's tweets today in memory of his late mother are very touching:

"Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there. And to the Mom's up there, too."

"... -had to duck into an aisle and sob when walking by Mother's Day cards in Target the other day. ‏ http://pic.twitter.com/h3016U2E"

[Before you click on this sweet photo of his mother, you need to have tissues ready for yourself!]

And this older one that he sent on Apr 19 during WTT had brought tears to my eye too:
"What an electric arena! Can't wait to be out there with Caydee tomorrow and team USA behind us. Spotted one empty seat, so Mom can watch <3"
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I had to laugh at the bit about Charlies "demon" costume for the first version of Eleanor Rigby. When I first saw that video clip, I wondered what on earth that costume was about :laugh:

But Meryl's hometown costume lady, Stephanie Miller, does a really wonderful job with their costumes for sure. No wonder they have stayed with her!

If she's the one who designed that delectable magenta dress for their free dance, I definitely agree.
 

CoyoteChris

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Way cool! Thanks. Watching the pannel of mothers of skaters in front of the gang at the Friends of Figure Skating breakfast at Greensboro, I thought, "The only thing more difficult than winning an OGM is being the mother of the skater.....I dont think the sport honors the families enough...I have no idea which is harder...to be a father/mother of a skater or to be the skater....great Mom's day article.....
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Happy Mother's Day to mothers everywhere!

Gotta add that @John CoughlinUSA's tweets today in memory of his late mother are very touching:

"Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there. And to the Mom's up there, too."

"... -had to duck into an aisle and sob when walking by Mother's Day cards in Target the other day. ‏ http://pic.twitter.com/h3016U2E"

[Before you click on this sweet photo of his mother, you need to have tissues ready for yourself!]

And this older one that he sent on Apr 19 during WTT had brought tears to my eye too:
"What an electric arena! Can't wait to be out there with Caydee tomorrow and team USA behind us. Spotted one empty seat, so Mom can watch <3"

Thanks a lot, golden.

I share the feeling with John...
I am much older than he, closer to his mom's age probably, and it's been over ten years since my mom passed away. But the Mother's Day gets nearer and flowers, cards and sweets everywhere thanking to moms, I still feel a pain in my heart, feeling blue and gloom...

However much one gets older, smarter or richier, no one can replace one's mom with selfless love and devotion to own child(ren) at any culture, any world and at any universe...(((John)))

Please rest assured John, I was there in the arena with your mother sitting by my side. She was all smiling during your strong and beautiful performances at the recent WTT! :yes:

And to every mothers in the world, BE HAPPY! :yay:

John is a great athlete, apprears a very nice person as well. :yes:
I have no favorite American pair teams after Rena Inoue retired, so let me root for Caydee and John next seasons, please! :yay:
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Rena was such a courageous, strong lady! I miss her!

Her partner's brother Don is skating with Tiffany Vise, but Rena & John have disappeared, as far as I can tell, from the skating scene.

Jennifer-How about a followup interview with Meryl & Charlie's dads for Father's Day? Or 5 more questions with the moms?
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Thanks a lot, golden.

I share the feeling with John...
I am much older than he, closer to his mom's age probably, and it's been over ten years since my mom passed away. But the Mother's Day gets nearer and flowers, cards and sweets everywhere thanking to moms, I still feel a pain in my heart, feeling blue and gloom...

However much one gets older, smarter or richier, no one can replace one's mom with selfless love and devotion to own child(ren) at any culture, any world and at any universe...(((John)))

Please rest assured John, I was there in the arena with your mother sitting by my side. She was all smiling during your strong and beautiful performances at the recent WTT! :yes:

And to every mothers in the world, BE HAPPY! :yay:

John is a great athlete, apprears a very nice person as well. :yes:
I have no favorite American pair teams after Rena Inoue retired, so let me root for Caydee and John next seasons, please! :yay:

Oh, deedee, you are making me cry too. I'm sad for you that the pain of losing your mother recurs. But also happy for you that she and you loved each other so much.

Denney and Coughlin are lucky to gain a fan as supportive as you. Coughlin apparently is a man of many sides, and one of his likable qualities is his comfort with showing a lasting emotional connection to his mother.
 

sillylionlove

Medalist
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
I understand what you are saying deedee. I lost my mother in March and this mother's day was very difficult. Of course making it even harder was the fact that it was two weeks before Easter and about one month before her anniversary. She was a big skating fan and went to all the shows and competitions with me.
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Thanks again for your thoughtfulness, golden. :)

Here is warmest huggs to you, too...(((sillylionlove)))

In our culture, we would often say 'a husband/father should be the center of pillar (=house/family)' because of its nature as a husband/father to support/protect family members. But when I lost my mom, I realized my mother herself was actually the pillar of my father, and how much she supported and protected him over the years. The way how closely my original family (because I had married years before and left my home by then) was united each other, was simply owing to her presence, her devotion and love for each one of family members for years.

A mother-daughter relationship, in general, tends to be more like the one between best friends as a daughter grows, and mine was like that.

From the way you described such close relationship with your mother, she must be a woderful person, adorable woman and the most caring mother to you. :yes:
Like you, my mom and I went out together for fun and my dad often got jealous of us...You have reminded me those lovely memories and made me smile. Thanks for that, sillylionlove.

Now I see my mother as a woman and as a wife, I respect her ten times more than I once did as her child when I was seeing her as my mother.

Oh, there is at least one good thing.
Looking up at the sky, we can talk to our mother anytime; whatever we want, whenever we like and wherever we are, without any compunction to our father, husband or anyone! :)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I lost my mom late last year. I had cared for her for a few years, so our close relationship became even closer, and in some ways I got to be the mother for awhile. She lived a long life, and I'm grateful for the time I spent with her, but one always wishes for more when it's a loved one. Like the rest of you, I miss her very much but also feel her presence. I wasn't looking forward to Mother's Day this year either. As it turned out, I had to work all weekend at the office. Since I'm fond of my officemates, I feel comforted that I got to spend the day with friends, even though we were typing away like maniacs trying to make a deadline. (One of the supervisors made an ice cream run, so there were benefits.)

My condolences to you especially, sillylionlove. It's hard when the loss is fresh, but the good times you shared with her will always be part of you, and they'll come back to you as refreshing moments as time goes on.

Deedee, I agree that when we lose our mothers, we can often see them more clearly, because we see the strengths that we probably took for granted when they were alive. And you're right. We can talk to them anytime, and we can still make them proud of us by how we conduct ourselves.
 

sillylionlove

Medalist
Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Thanks everyone. It's true that mothers really are the pillars if the family. My dad is a smart man and was a hard worker but after my mom died he's like a big kid!! LOL
 
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