MOM

I awoke to a loud thump as my Dad was shouting,
"WAKE UP, COME AND HELP ME!"

Instantly I opened my bedroom door to see my dad
dragging mom down the hall from the bathroom to their bedroom.
We both tried lifting her on the bed but
I couldn't seem to pick up my portion.
As he shoved me aside, I remember being astounded
at his strength to lift her up and drop her on the bed
as he instructed me to call 911.

At the hospital we discovered she had a stroke.
Mom was aware of all the activity
but couldn't verbally respond at the time.
She later told me when Dad had yelled at me
to help get her out of the bathroom,
that she was trying to tell him to not wake me
but couldn't get the words to come out.
She vividly remembered the ambulance ride,
her horrible headache and thought
they must intentionally be running over every bump
in the road to bang her head.

There were a series of strokes in the years to follow
compounded with two necessary stays in a nursing home.
Dad kept her home as much as he could.
He had a hospital bed installed in the living room,
pureed all her food and spoon-fed her until the "big one" hit.
Her doctor came to the house and sat by her bedside until after midnight.
Before leaving, he kindly warned us the possibility
of her not coming out of this one.

The next morning we had no choice but to call the ambulance
for her final unconscious ride from the home that
she helped design and build for their retirement years.
She never came back and the house was never the same.
Where it was once light and airy with an invisible WELCOME sign
inviting family and friends into its warmth and comfort changed.
Even the pictures, what-nots and walls seemed to cry from her void.

Mom is one of God's angels now.
She'll still look after us,
guide us with her kind and gentle spirit
while softly humming AMAZING GRACE and protecting her flock.
Our circle is now broken.....but her head won't hurt anymore.

Please see the beautiful memorial page my sister did for our mom.
Mom's Memorial Tribute