Rosy Glow – Handkerchiefs

By

Andrew DeMarco

Handkerchiefs! I am sure that most of you who have read some of my previous Rosy Glows are wondering how a handkerchief can provide a Rosy Glow? Well believe it or not they can and just give me some time and you will see. When I think of a handkerchief I think of my father and any time I think of him it usually gives me that rosy glow. It was my father who taught me to carry a handkerchief at all times and also how to use it in a gentlemanly way whether blowing ones nose or providing it to others in times of need. Because of this over the years I have lost many handkerchiefs. I usually lost them at weddings or funerals; I gave them to those who were crying either out of sadness or joy. There were other times where I provided my handkerchief that I remember, all providing those glow moments.

The first of these moments that I recall was well over 30 years ago at of all things Iona College’s Founders Day celebration. I was there with my friends who were all alumni, among them Nancy Vaccaro who brought along her little niece Tara Delany who was about 2 or 3 years old at that time. Tara spilled juice on herself and it fell to the sidewalk. I took my handkerchief and began to clean her hands. Tara then took it from me and being the tidy little thing that she was began to mop up the sidewalk with my handkerchief.  One lost handkerchief but also a great memory which Nancy and I recently discussed (by the way, Happy Birthday Nancy). Tara is now married with 2 children and a third on the way.

Over the years I have lost my share of handkerchiefs to Coach Belle Koclanes, beginning with her final game in high school, which was very emotional for her. I lost another to her after her final game in college when she was a mess again. To this day I have not gotten them back, and Coach claims to have them and keeps them as a memento that I was always there for her.

I have indirectly lost another because of Coach Belle. That was last year at the Dartmouth end of Season Awards when Senior Captain Nicola Zimmer got all emotional and was in need of a handkerchief and guess who supplied it. I recently saw Nicola at a Dartmouth vs. Columbia game here in New York and she came up to me to tell me that she is taking good care of my handkerchief and it too is in her scrap book.

This lead Coach Belle and I to start a new tradition, the awarding of the “Uncle Andy Hanky” presented to the most emotional, weepiest in need of a hanky at the annual awards luncheon. This year I was unable to attend so I donated a handkerchief. Coach Belle informed me that it was awarded to one of her assistant coaches Maria Noucas and her father Jim who is a Dartmouth alum, who both lost it during the ceremony. Now I don’t know how Coach Belle handled it, if she was Solomon like or arranged for joint custody, but this was a first for one of my hankies.

Finally there is the handkerchief which I lost but was returned by Nanette Hill. Nanette is the daughter of my college classmates Bill and Nan Hill. Nanette is a golfer who won numerous awards while at Pelham High School. While still in high school Nanette received a sponsor’s exemption to play, as an amateur in the LPGA Sybase Classic at Wykagyl Country Club just down the road from here in New Rochelle.

During the first two rounds Nanette had a large gallery following her since she was a local, but unfortunately she did not make the cut. Afterwards she was quite emotional feeling that she had let us all down, so I gave her my handkerchief. After she calmed down she spoke with all her fans from Pelham who turned out to support her. Later that day she came back to me and wanted to give me back my handkerchief.  As this never happened before, I initially did not know what to do. After some thought I asked her to autograph it because as I said to her, “There is no doubt in my mind that you will make it one day.” (See the picture at the top of this Glow) She gave me one of those “really “ looks and autographed my handkerchief. I like to think that this handkerchief provided her with some inspiration.

Nanette went on to play at Wake Forest where she had an excellent college career and played in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Upon graduation she joined the Q-school circuit in an attempt to play in the LPGA. She was doing fine when injuries occurred and set her back. But like her father who was a pitcher at Fordham and later in the Expo organization she has the heart of a lion. She endured numerous surgeries, rehab and persevered and just last month Nanette got her LPGA card and will be on the tour this year. She hopes to play in at least 20 LPGA events and hopefully she will be playing in the KPMG Woman’s PGA Championship at Westchester Country Club in June when the Town of Pelham can turn out again to support her. I know I will be there with a handkerchief just in case.

So there you have it, through good times or bad, moments of joy or sadness, a simple piece of cloth can help to create and bring back memories, create traditions as with Coach Belle or maybe even inspire. No matter which I know that all those handkerchiefs and the stories attached to them give me that feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow.