 Author: Braeden Rhade
Date: 04-28-05 22:54
My mother died a few years ago, after many strokes. She would work hard after every stroke, getting back her voice, her muscles, her ability to take care of herself.
I got the call that she had had another one on Friday. We hurried to the hospital, sure that she would either be okay or had slipped past us in her flight. But there she was, every little bit of her. She couldn't take at first, and got frustrated and tired, but by the end of the day, she was saying she loved us, and would hold my hand to her heart, and then ask for a kiss. My sibling had gone home earlier, and so had missed the many kisses.
She died in her sleep that morning, after a quiet night. The woman who had led me into life was gone without much as a stir. She was a shaker and a doer, helping at Day Camps as a volunteer for many years, as a school nurse when needed, or as a woman who was strong and kind, but with a snap that made her eyes twinkle. At her funeral, we had over 300 people show up, most with a picture of her smling, or a Mom-moment story. As one person told me, welcome to your Mom's Fan Club.
The morning of the funeral, I couldn't sleep. I woke up about 6 am to snow. February and it was softly white all over; trees, cars, roads As the tears poured down my face, I remembered what Mom called snow flakes. Angel kisses.
My sibling got her kisses from Mom.
Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and all of yours.
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