A bright light has left this world.
We all know this day has to come, but facing it can be one of the hardest things that we do. My Mom was more than just a mother, she was one of my best friends. Her spirit and cheerfulness helped get me through the rough times in life. Her joy and compassion helped me enjoy the best times even more. For as long as I can remember we have talked almost every day, and seen each other at least once a week, often more. We’ve laughed and cried, shouted and just held each other in silence. We know this day has to come, but it still leaves a hole inside, that cannot be filled.
I always said that she had the unwavering ability to show up. It seems a simple thing, but she didn’t just show up, she showed up with enthusiasm and love, whether it was a wedding, a birthday, a graduation, school play, or soccer game. She came to operas, musicals and never missed one of my shows, until last year, when everything changed. She was ready to go on short notice. To the cottage, on a road trip, wine tour, or off on vacation. She came with us on a choir tour of Newfoundland, golf trips to Myrtle Beach, vacations in Mexico, Cuba, Las Vegas, Florida, and many shorter trips. Strangely it wasn’t a burden, she was a great traveller.
Mostly in the past few years, we enjoyed the time hanging around our apartment, or her house, and especially all the weekends up north. We had a routine. She would drive down on Friday afternoon, hopefully before traffic got bad. We would pack up and head to Theos, for takeout, and a visit with the girls. Then off to the cottage, where we would hunker down for our episodes of whatever we had downloaded. Sundays was the opposite, packing up and coming back, either early, for church, or later, if it was off season. She stayed over until the traffic had cleared on Monday and would usually head out. It became our tradition and is a habit I was not ready to break, as it gave her joy. We developed other traditions, like watching A Christmas Carol on Christmas eve, while wrapping the last few presents, or our spring gardening ritual.
My Mom was not perfect. Of course she had faults, but she had a huge heart and genuinely cared about people. We argued at times, but always forgave each other, and ourselves. In the end we are human, we live and die. Neither are easy, but each leaves a piece of yourself on those who love you. My heart is broken, but with the strength she added to mine, I will get through. I thanked God every day for the blessing of having her in my life, and even now, I still do.
A bright light has left this world… and yet endures within each of us.
