The following is what I read at my mother's memorial service on August 9, 2012.
I Will Love You Always
Those were the last words I heard from my mother over my cell
phone while I was in Charlotte, NC last Wednesday. We always ended our
conversations with, ‘I love you’. This time was different and I knew it.
At first I was in shock and shortly after I got off the phone
the tears came. While crying I kept saying to myself, ‘She said she was ready
to go’. After a few times of a uttering those words an overwhelming peace
filled the room. By the time I received the final call from my brother Danny
about her passing, I was happy. I was happy because she is no longer in pain.
She is no longer suffering. She is in complete rest and at peace.
Now is the time to celebrate the great life she had. So, from
here on out let’s focus on the wonderful memories I know we all have shared
with her.
Throughout the years of growing up you take for granted all the
wonderful things Mom does for you. Sometimes we don’t realize them until it’s
too late. So, I encourage you to appreciate the Mom you have and make her aware
of that constantly because we owe them our lives.
For me my mother was my:
Personal
Physician: When I was just a little guy, if I had a boo-boo or
owwie, who do you think I ran to while screaming in pain? Mom, she always knew
what to do. It was like she had a PhD in medicine. Usually her go to cure was
only a band-aide and a kiss to make it all feel better. Those kisses were magical
weren’t they? It didn’t matter how severe the boo-boo, after that kiss, I was
back out playing like nothing happened.
Teacher: As I grew
with age and my level of mischief she became my teacher. Her favorite tool was
a big wooden spoon. When I was smaller it would sting and I would stop doing
whatever I was doing wrong. But when I became bigger, let’s just say I could
have probably built a log cabin with all those broken spoons.
Say what you will about how parents discipline children. Back
then I hated those wooden spoons. But now I appreciate them because through
those spoons my mother taught me the difference between right and wrong. I
wouldn’t have it any other way.
Personal
Five Star Chef: are you kidding? I didn’t get this size because of
any other reason. Everything mom cooked was delicious, even if it wasn’t our
favorite dish, it still was the best. She would always make my favorite for my
birthday, usually chicken enchiladas, for those who are keeping score.
Cheerleader: Every
baseball game I played, she was there cheering me on. I know because you could
hear her yell over all the other parents in the stands. Or she would ring her cow
bell, just to kick it up a notch. I loved that about her.
Last but not Least…
Counselor: Later on
in life, even after I grew up, got married, moved away and then divorced, I
still needed my Mommy. Especially when times were really hard, she was a phone
call away. She always knew what to say to calm me down.
What do all of these things have in common? They all are
grounded in Love. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be said. But if you really pay
attention to the real meaning of her actions you will know in your heart, she
loves you.
My mom had a fun life. She loved her family, her friends and
neighbors. Most of all she loved life.
It’s amazing to see how much she is reflected in my life today.
I could go on and on and brag about how wonderful I turned out, but the point
is she helped mold me into who I am today. A lot of my personal traits came
from my mother. Even down to my passion and career. It hit me just a few days
ago. We were going through piles and piles of pictures to choose which ones we
wanted to share with everyone. I realized mom loved to take pictures. For those
of you who don’t know, that’s what I do for a living. Coincidence, I think not.
For all of those things and many more of which I haven’t the
space to list, I will love you always.
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