My mom passed away in May of 2006 from cancer. She couldn't have been much taller than 5' 1", but she was feisty, full of life, lots of personality, and was not to be messed with. She wasn't mean at all, she just never took much bullshit from anybody, my dad, sisters, and myslef included. :)
I know that this board generally refrains from religious discussions, but my favorite memory of my mom involves just that.
Her and my dad got into church a couple of years before she was diagnosed. I didn't grow up in a regular church attending home, but being in the Bible Belt, if anybody asked what we thought about Jesus we would have said, "We're for him". That's about as deep as we got.
When they did start going to church they went all in. They were there every Sunday Morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, and helped with all the events. My dad still leads the music there and is their maintenance/handy man.
Now to my favorite memory. Seeing my mom, who always seemed to be such a strong willed, can do anything type of person being eaten away at by cancer was really difficult. As tough as it was for us to see, it had to be infinitely more difficult for her to be. After several years of fighting, going into remission, it returning, and a couple of surgeries it was evident she wasn't going to beat it. Her last surgery put her in a wheelchair that she never came back out of. When we knew she wasn't going to make it I started attenting church with them. When she was finally confined to the wheelchair my dad didn't fool with getting her in and out if it at church. It's a smaller country church where everybody knew her and loved her, so he would just wheel her up to the very front, next to where he and the pastor would stand, and she had the best seat in the house. One particular Sunday morning, while dad was leading us in a song, I happened to notice her singing. I had been going for a couple of weeks at this point, had seen her sing before, but this particular time the look on her face, broken down and bound to a wheelchair, was of peace and of joy more pure than any I haf seen before that or have seen since.
That was the last time she made it to church. A week later on Monday she passed away. I love her and miss her very much, but the memory of that last morning in church, and the peace she had has helped me find a peace about her going on home. I know she was very broken down and I know she isn't now. As much as I miss, I feel pretty good about that.
The other great lady in my life, my wife, was thoughtful enough to take my mom's Bible to church with is this morning for me to use instead of mine. I didn't know until we got there. I wouldn't have thought to take it, but she did and it was very nice to have it on my lap this morning.
That's my memory.
My number is 348, that is the month and year of her birth.
It may be late to PM someone, but I'm going to send one to paddy. He hasn't been active since I have been, but he was in the days I was lurking.
For the sake of convenience I will say it was paddy that was jealous over the ashtray.
Thanks again for the contest.
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