One can assume it's been quite a sad and reflective time for Blue Bloods' Donnie Wahlberg and brother Mark Wahlberg, despite currently enjoying so much success in their respective careers and personal lives. The acting pair only recently lost their mother Alma Wahlberg, whose death was announced over the weekend. Understandably, both men were full of love and graciousness when it came to paying tribute to the family matriarch, with the older sibling sharing an extended farewell message on social media that is as touching as it gets.
Donnie Wahlberg shared a lovingly crafted short film that culled together footage of Alma and her various family members from over the years - and there's bound to be much more footage, considering she was one of the central figures in the reality show Wahlburgers when it aired from 2014-2019. Describing his mother in his Instagram post as a proud, yet humbled woman who is a direct source for all of his best attributes, Donnie Wahlberg continued, saying:
She was, without a doubt, the most loving human being I’ve ever known. I never heard her say, or do, anything disrespectful to anyone. She was, as anybody who ever came across her knows, true blue. Like so many moms who struggled, overcame odds, made something from nothing and pulled off the impossible for their children, she never complained. She did what needed to be done, most often, with a smile. She made the best of times in the worst of times.
As someone who is partial to complaining about virtually anything under the sun, I respect the heck out of anyone who bears down and trudges on without hesitations or regrets. And she clearly did something extremely right, considering her sons have conquered feature films, long-running TV dramas, platinum-selling albums and more.
Speaking to the musical side of things, the New Kids on the Block icon Donnie Wahlberg talked about singing with his mother while cleaning house, and the amazing gift he gave her at his own wedding. In his words:
As a young boy, she’d invite me to sing her favorite song with her (Native New Yorker by Odyssey) as she cleaned our home. There’s no doubt that the two of us singing into a mop stick, while disco dancing on our 'sparkling' linoleum floor, helped inspire the dreamer in me — just like the dreamer in her. Her other favorite song, If I Could by Regina Belle, is the song that she danced with each of her children to, at their weddings. I surprised her at mine by having Ms Belle sing it to her. I did so because, despite the fact that my mom could do (and actually did) many of the things mentioned in that beautiful song, she still wondered if she’d done the job of being the best mother she could be. Today, I say with tremendous certainty, and gratitude, she absolutely did.
While we can never really know if our mothers truly understand how much their efforts are appreciated, I think the whole "having one of your mom's favorite songs performed directly to her by the artist" is about as convincing as anyone's offspring can get.
Speaking of Donnie Wahlberg's wedding, his extremely popular wife Jenny McCarthy (of Masked Singer fame, of course) also shared some kind words about Alma Wahlberg on social media, saying:
Such a beautiful tribute for the worlds greatest mother-in-law. You are loved by so many and will be missed dearly. Love you, Alma.
Thankfully, Donnie Wahlberg was seemingly able to start the week off on as positive a note as possible, keeping his head held high above his heavy heart.
Donnie Wahlberg will be seen joining his fictional Reagan family on CBS' Blue Bloods, which will wrap up its more socially relevant eleventh season in May. It airs Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET.
