I attended my mothers funeral masked and gloved.
I wasn’t allowed out of the car until the funeral workers had put her body in the ground. Only my husband was by my side. My brother lives out of state and could not attend, and my two- semi higher risk children - were watching it being streamed on Facebook live.
I wasn’t allowed out of the car until the funeral workers had put her body in the ground. Only my husband was by my side. My brother lives out of state and could not attend, and my two- semi higher risk children - were watching it being streamed on Facebook live.
My first thought is morbid. My second thought was lovely. I have relatives on both coasts- neither who could attend for obvious reasons. My brother was not able to sit by my side with his family and bury our mother. These were not normal times and I soon appreciated technology more than ever.
I wanted to speak about my mom. It’s who I am. I communicate. I write for all different reasons but mostly because it’s therapeutic for me. She deserved the eulogy I would’ve read at a funeral of 1 or 101; so I read .
”My mom was 3 weeks short of turning 91 years old . She lived a full wonderful life yet this awful pandemic took away my right to hold her hand in her last days. It didn’t allow me to be by her side , as she was for me for all my years . It is not even allowing her a proper goodbye. It’s an odd feeling to be here in gloves and a mask and not have my brother by my side. To not be able to feel physical comfort from those who love her; who love me. Yet here we are .
As of date in the US, Covid 19 has taken over 27000 deaths .
Some we have heard about .
A famous singer.
A 40 year old who left behind young children.
An actor.
A 40 year old who left behind young children.
An actor.
She was none of those things .
But she was my mom. And no less news worthy or important in the world.
She was the person who made an amazing “7 up” cake and was a lousy driver.
She was as strong as she was stubborn.
She spent every Friday afternoon going to listen to symphony in Boston with a friend and spent her weekends hosting a book club, movie club or being treasurer of her stock investment club.
She loved Barbara Streisand (especially in “The way we were”) and would spend Sunday mornings listening to her, Tony Bennett or Gershwin music with my Dad.
She loved to take cruises, eat chocolate and shop. (All three traits I am proud to have inherited )
She was a treasured sister. She was so close with my aunts and in spite of her 12 year age difference, they were always her best friends.
She was a beloved friend. Truly. People loved her. She had friends that were family and family that were friends. There was never an Ill word spoken about her.
She was as strong as she was stubborn.
She spent every Friday afternoon going to listen to symphony in Boston with a friend and spent her weekends hosting a book club, movie club or being treasurer of her stock investment club.
She loved Barbara Streisand (especially in “The way we were”) and would spend Sunday mornings listening to her, Tony Bennett or Gershwin music with my Dad.
She loved to take cruises, eat chocolate and shop. (All three traits I am proud to have inherited )
She was a treasured sister. She was so close with my aunts and in spite of her 12 year age difference, they were always her best friends.
She was a beloved friend. Truly. People loved her. She had friends that were family and family that were friends. There was never an Ill word spoken about her.
She was kind and thoughtful. Her and my father always donated generously to charities and she was always volunteering her time to various organizations or even just our school book fairs.
She was a worrier and a warrior. She had determination, strength and was not afraid to use her voice. She loved to write creatively, play bridge with her “Wednesday girls” (which in later years turned into Friday’s and often Sunday’s as couples ) and loved to spend a lazy afternoon watching a decent Lifetime movie. (Just like me!)
She had a wonderful marriage to my Dad for 50 years and was fortunate enough to be an adored gradnma to her 5 grandchildren.
She was a worrier and a warrior. She had determination, strength and was not afraid to use her voice. She loved to write creatively, play bridge with her “Wednesday girls” (which in later years turned into Friday’s and often Sunday’s as couples ) and loved to spend a lazy afternoon watching a decent Lifetime movie. (Just like me!)
She had a wonderful marriage to my Dad for 50 years and was fortunate enough to be an adored gradnma to her 5 grandchildren.
As far as being a Mom goes, she was simply the best.
She and my brother would spend hours talking on the phone (which those of us with sons know this is a rarity) and her and I were so extremely similar -(including our bad backs, the desire for over analyzing and over discussing everything, and I like to think I inherited my strength from her).
Our similarities tore us apart during my teen years but only brought us closer than ever as I grew.
She would often brag to her friends that “every body should have a daughter like mine”
But the truth was , everyone should have a mother like mine.
I’m incredibly lucky to have had such an incredible relationship with her my entire life - there is already a hole in my heart and I will miss her immensely.
I love you mom- give dad a kiss from me”
She and my brother would spend hours talking on the phone (which those of us with sons know this is a rarity) and her and I were so extremely similar -(including our bad backs, the desire for over analyzing and over discussing everything, and I like to think I inherited my strength from her).
Our similarities tore us apart during my teen years but only brought us closer than ever as I grew.
She would often brag to her friends that “every body should have a daughter like mine”
But the truth was , everyone should have a mother like mine.
I’m incredibly lucky to have had such an incredible relationship with her my entire life - there is already a hole in my heart and I will miss her immensely.
I love you mom- give dad a kiss from me”
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