I said goodbye to my mom as we left her room where she was comfortable and sleeping peacefully, ready to make her transition. Her family had been all around her bedside that evening, giving her love and saying their farewells. Although it seemed like she couldn’t hear us, I knew that hearing was the last sense to go during this time. She knew we were there; in fact, she waited on Kenny, Stefanie and Stephen to come and she was happy. So like her father, she loved nothing more than having her family around her.
Family left in dribs and drabs until it was just Aunt Connie, my cousin Donna, Duty, Regina and me. Intuitively, I knew that she didn’t want us there at her last moments. And so, around 2:30am, we decided to leave. Finally, it was just Duty, me and mom. In the quiet of that room, Duty said “I love you, Mama Ro” (she LOVED that nickname!!) and kissed her goodbye. Stepping up to her bedside, I gave her a last kiss on her forehead and whispered to her “You know I can hear you wherever you are. Go give Lauren, Grandma, Grandpa and Daddy a big ass hug from me when you see them. Peace out, Mama” and we left the room. All the nurses on shift gave me a hug as I was leaving.
At 5:30am, I got a call from the nursing home that she had passed away. She was finally able to let go of the body that held her in prison for a good part of her life. And for that, I was glad.
She did, however, make one little stop on the way to her next plane of existence. And it was a rather “shocking” experience, too! hehe (Should I elaborate??) Mom and one particular family member were not on the best of terms, shall we say. Apparently, early that morning, he was sleeping when he was literally jolted awake. It was as if he had been given an electrical shock through his whole body. When his wife came home that afternoon, he asked her why she woke him up at 6am to give him an electrical shock and her first thought was “Aunt Ro did it!!”. heheh (I think she’s right!!) It’s so like my mom to do something like that too. She didn’t take kindly to anyone not treating members of her family “right”.
Anyway, I sure miss my mom. But I can always feel her love around me.
Wow, it’s been a whole year already – it doesn’t seem that long ago. Your Mom still smiles upon you every waking morning – I know it. =O)
What a beautiful story… thank you for sharing it.