I was rushing around the kitchen this morning, toast burning and the dog under my feet, when the news popped up on my phone. Another reminder that time waits for no one, especially not for the women who hold families together through every storm. Mary Jo Shannon, known to so many as MJ, died on 16 July at the age of 91. She was just shy of turning 92.
Kris Jenner shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram that same day. In a long, raw post she called her "beautiful Mommy MJ" and admitted there are no words that could ever capture what she meant. Reading it stopped me in my tracks. Because behind the cameras and the headlines, this was a daughter saying goodbye to the woman who taught her what truly matters.
My mom was the heart of our family. She taught me everything that truly matters… to love your family fiercely, to be kind, to show up for the people you love, and to never take a single moment together for granted. She taught us that family is everything.
Those lines from Kris cut deep. MJ wasn't just a supporting character on the reality shows that have followed this family since 2007. She appeared on them many times, offering her sassy one-liners and the sort of straightforward wisdom that comes from a life properly lived. She beat cancer twice. She raised two daughters, Kris and Karen Houghton, though Karen herself passed away in March 2024 at 65. And she became grandmother to Kim, Kourtney, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie.
A life rooted in what lasts
The family once threw her a lovely 90th birthday party in a San Diego hotel, all floral décor and laughter, and it made it onto one of the programmes. MJ stood up and said something simple yet perfect: "How wonderful life is when you're in my world... that's all of you." You can hear the gratitude in it. No grand speeches, just the quiet acknowledgement that the real richness sits in the people around the table.
That's what stays with me. In our noisy, scattered world it's easy to forget how much steady love across generations actually matters. MJ showed her daughter how to face challenges with resilience and faith. She modelled showing up, sacrificing without complaint, and finding joy in the small things. Kris wrote that if she has done anything right, it's because she spent her life trying to make her mother proud. When I read that, I thought of my own mum and the thousand tiny lessons I carry without even realising.