At first they were just another couple in the airport crowd. I hardly took notice of them. The next time they caught my eye though, something about it wasn’t quite right. I saw her leaning into his shoulder, heavily, almost as though he held her up while she pressed into his side, her face buried into his neck. That’s when I saw it. The military fatigues. Now I understood. This was one of those goodbyes.
Archive for May, 2010
One of THOSE Goodbyes
May 31, 2010Mother’s Day Unedited
May 9, 2010
One of my favorite memories of my mother came when she was in the hospital…dying of cancer. We were rarely alone during her last days as many in our family would come and go. We never ever left her alone. So it was surprising to suddenly find myself alone in the room with her. And since I thought she was sleeping, it was also surprising to look up and find her staring at me.
I smiled at her, wondering what she was thinking.
But she just kept staring. What was going through her mind? Did she need something?
And then she said, “You know…of all my children…you are the one who looks most like me.”
I smiled again.
She continued to stare. Then… (more…)
