Al Roker Shares Breathtaking Church Hymn in Memory of Late Mother: "Bittersweet"
The TODAY icon penned a tribute to his mom on Easter.
For TODAY's Al Roker, Easter Sunday coincided with his late mother's birthday this year, and the devoted family man took to social media to reflect on the moment and share a poignant video.
In an April 20 Instagram post, America's weatherman shared a hymn from his church's Easter mass — and it just happened to be his mom's favorite. Sitting just a few rows from the choir, Roker and his family witnessed the triumphant "I Am the Bread of Life," a hymn typically performed in the Catholic Church. It sounded gorgeous on video and fans could probably imagine how powerful it must've been to witness the performance in person.
Roker's caption was heartfelt and tender. He appeared relieved that he "made it through" the hymn despite the bittersweet emotions it invoked.
"Well, made it through 'I Am The Bread Of Life', my mom, Isabel Roker's favorite Easter hymn. This being her birthday, it was especially bittersweet. She would have been 88," he lovingly wrote.
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Roker, a long-practicing Catholic, honored his late mother as often as he could this past weekend. Although it's been 18 years since Isabel passed in 2007, fans can tell how badly the 70-year-old misses his mom, especially when her birthday coincides with a holiday like Easter.
In a separate Instagram post, Roker told a sweet story from his childhood alongside a vintage photo of his family.
"For the first time I can remember, Easter coincides with Isabel Roker's birthday. I always think about her raising her arms up during the Easter hymn, 'I Am The Bread Of Life.' Deborah and the kids always watch me during the song in case I lose it and they console me. Happy Birthday, Mom."
Roker acknowledging how his family, especially his kids and his wife, Deborah Roberts, looks over him during these moments in case he "loses" it is the sweetest thing ever.
(The entire Roker clan looked dressed to impress, as seen in another carousel the star shared on Sunday — the family was all smiles despite the bittersweet coincidence.)
Al Roker and his mom look identical in throwback photo shown on TODAY
Late last year, holiday cheer was abundant in the air when Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, and Roker got together for a tasty December 18 TODAY segment to exchange delicious Christmas cookie recipes and talk about their favorite childhood holiday memories.
Nearly lost in between the sugary goodness of their cookies was a seriously sweet throwback photo of Roker and his mother, Isabel. It was a blink-and-you-missed-it moment, but we've tracked down the exact second the photo appears: at the 3:26 mark in the video below.
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The undated photo is at least 15 to 20 years old, but Roker looks like the spitting image of his mama!
We're sure the star cherishes that particular picture just as much as fans do.
