LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, SH-BOOM, SH-BOOM

One evening a few weeks ago my mother shared with me what was on her mind; it was a poignant one-sided conversation that touched my heart. It wasn’t depressing; it was just a matter of fact. We had finished dinner and I was cleaning up when she started to wistfully reminisce about her life, the people in it and she ended up by saying, “I wonder if my life has only been a dream?” All those who had been a part of her past were now just mere memories; parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, even her husband, my father, all gone. She felt like she was standing alone on the precipice of a great cliff, all those ahead and alongside of her had slipped over the edge and it was as if she was simply waiting for her turn to follow them into the unknown. All I could do was listen and respond that I understood why she would think that way, but reminded her that she wasn’t alone, and of course she agreed that she wasn’t.

Then this past week we prepared for a family reunion in PA for my mother’s side of the family. I took off Friday to help her prepare. She made potato salad, pickled eggs, great-grandma’s raisin cake. Then on Saturday at the crack of dawn we loaded the cooler into the car and away we went. The trip was smooth and uneventful, except for a difference of opinion in interpreting the directions at one point, which caused us half hour delay in getting there…but I digress.... Anyway, we arrived and were greeted by relatives we hadn’t seen in a long time and by some relatives we didn’t even know existed! It was a fabulous time. There was a table set up under a tent with genealogy posters of different branches in the family tree as well as photo albums from different family members. I was amazed that some traveled great distances to attend; an 82 year old cousin came down from Michigan and one fellow drove up all the way from South Carolina. They both got a box of candy for traveling the farthest (mom’s idea!). We had prizes for the kids, because we knew they must have been bored out of their minds. And lastly, my mother asked me to make a commemorative mug for my cousin for pulling the whole thing together, so I made a porcelain mug, hand carved it, then glazed it in a translucent cobalt colored glaze and high fired it at cone 10 in reduction; it came out quite nice. He was thrilled, which made me extremely happy.

Then it just kind of started to break up, some were going to walk through cemeteries and look at headstones, but mom wasn’t up to that, so we packed up around 4:00 and made the trek home only stopping once to grab a bite from what I believe must be the worst diner in the United States. It was just outside of Allentown right off the highway on route 100 south…but again I digress... We rolled in at 9:00 and after putting a lot of the stuff away we all headed off to bed.

The next morning my mother told me that last night was the first time since my father died, that she went to bed feeling happy and content. That thrilled me, and I couldn’t help remembering that only a few weeks ago she was thinking about all those that she had lost; how wonderful for her to have gained so much over the weekend by seeing so many loved ones and being reaffirmed by them. It’s a wonderful thing being loved and needed. So here’s to my family; to all I hold near and dear to my heart! “MUAH”! I love you all more than words can say.

CD~