Papa and I are leaving to day for a little trip to Georgia, and the Lewis Family Festival. We have attended this show several times. We didn’t go last year, since Mom was so sick. I remember she asked me when we were leaving, and she seemed sad to think she might have caused us to stay home.
During those days, I fell into the habit of saying, “Only one Mother,” when something like that would come up. I wanted her to know that she was very important to me, but I always got so choked up that I couldn’t really say anything too direct. That little phrase kept me from crying on the spot, and got me through a lot of tough moments.
I looked back on some of the e-mails I sent to family members during the very difficult couple of months between a horrible night in the ER at the end of April, until her death in June. I notice that in my efforts to communicate the situation effectively to everyone, it sounded pretty much like a play by play, or a discussion of the traffic; not like a daughter discussing her mother’s illness.
Well, that was last year, and I’ve almost made it through a year. It’s painful to remember that time, but not as painful as it was six months ago. I sure miss my Mom, and I sure don’t like being the oldest living member of my immediate family, but I’m marching on. I enjoy our children and grandchildren, and Papa and I have a lot more time for each other these days.
So, we’re off to Georgia, $3.65 gas and all. Not sure if we will be traveling down South much this year, but we’re going this time. For me, it’s one more step to complete healing.
