Sunday, August 24, 2008

Saying goodbye...Time takes her gently

Photobucket
Today I helped a friend....
Sadly she has lost her mother to time at the age of 97 years.
Now she finds herself alone, truly alone.
No sibblings, no parents, grandparents, just three cousins.

We started in one room at a time, going through boxes of precious momentos and oddles of uncollectable keepsakes.
I came across a photo of her mother.
Tall, slender and elegant.
Beautiful with her whole life ahead of her.
We came across old ballet shoes and more family photos, none of which Kathy had ever seen.
All the while I kept thinking to myself I NEED to go through my boxes I have accumulated over time, drawers and closets.

I wouldn't ever want to leave my children with such a job.
Leave them with so much to sort out.
I have left them with sibblings, they will have each other hopefully to go through my treasures and uncollectables.
Now more then ever Iam reminded of the value of a family.

There is no one in my life quite like my mother. I can not bare the thought of losing her, yet I know that time will come.
You can't prepare yet I know there are instances that would allow us to start wrapping our heart around such an idea.

A only child, that can be a lonely legacy of emptiness.

[ picture- a collage of photos I found on the internet made in Microsoft Pictures]

2 comments:

  1. I too was an only child and I fear those days although as luck would have it, I'm pretty sure my parents will outlive me. :) *whew*

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  2. This really touched me. I'm next to youngest of 7. A sister died young (in her 30's), but six of us are still here. We've started getting together, once a year, & a couple of years ago when we did that, one of my sisters said, "You realize what tonight is, don't you?" I didn't...it turns out it was the 20th anniversary of our mom's death. I had my differences with my mom, but I couldn't help it...I burst into tears upon hearing that. I deliberately do not remember the exact date she died, although I never fail to think of her on her birthday. There's no one like your mother, at least, if you have the good fortune to have a good mother...beautiful post, TJ.

    XO

    Judi

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Nothing makes you more tolerant of a neighbor's noisy party than being there. ~ Franklin P. Jones
Attitude is a Choice.