Mom's Passing

My Mom left this earth on January 30. Our family had the memorial service and burial yesterday.

Before the service, there was an opportunity for family and friends to gather. I walked into the reception area where my brother-in-law Barry had posted two photo collages. I saw my recently retired boss looking at the photos and went up to him.

I pointed out my favorite photo among what seemed like a hundred. In it my Mom is sitting on a blanket on the grass, looking down on one of her children, who is just born. There is such a expression of pure love in her face that it's overwhelming.

Of all the words that I could use to describe Mom, that's the first one that comes to mind: loving.

She had a lot of it, and she gave a lot of it away. That was the way Mom lived her life to the very end.

After showing my former boss the photo, I talked about his own retirement and a special event that happened to honor him a few days before. Among the many accolades that evening a co-worker and I presented our perspective. At the very end of it, I found myself choking up and almost crying. I told my former boss, "I realized afterwards why that happened. It's because it was a death." He looked at me and said, "I choose to use the word 'ending.'" Meaning a chapter may be finished but the story isn't.

So, Mom, I'm still grieving but even though the long and beautiful chapter of your life on this earth is now ended, the story goes on!