Friday, September 17, 2010

The End

I saw my mother into the ground today.

The service was absolutely beautiful, with lovely music and terrific readings. Close friends were there, though the attendance was not huge. Mom had often complained years ago that most of the people she had known were dead, and she had lamented being a survivor of her cohort. Yeah, that happens sometimes, and so most of the people who went to her church only knew her as a dotty and confused old lady.

No more. On the Other Side, the girl her mother called "La Furia" (The Fury) is back in action, I'm sure.

I cannot say for sure, for I do not know the mind of God, but the luminous, perfect weather this morning was like exultation. I don't think I've ever seen such a glowing, clear morning in Pennsylvania in my life. The views of the mountains and the river as we drove to the church were extraordinary, so much so that I forgot I had the camera in the car. Maybe Heaven -- and my dad and my sister -- are happy that Mom has joined them, all flashing smile and presence big enough to move mountains. The mountains and the sky and the sun seemed to speak loudly this morning.

I'll take that as a "yes."

1 comment:

Doug Gordon said...

Sorry for your loss. I was especially touched by your comment that people knew your mom only as dotty and confused. Alzheimer's and the other indignities of old age are only the last of many transformations, it seems to me. Even with our (presumably) full capacities, are we the same people we were 20 years ago? In any case, I agree that the glorious landscape has to be seen as a blessing; if they don't mean something, nothing does, and that seems impossible.