February 24th.
For 40 years, just a normal day in the calendar year. Now, a day that will never be innocuous again.
It was two years ago today that many of our lives changed
forever. My Mom left us to go home to our Lord.
Recently, I have felt more surrounded by her, with more
memories, more dreams, more “sightings,” more thoughts, more tears….
When thinking about this post, I decided I wanted to focus more on
the things that help me—that do my heart
good---rather than being sad (even though that part is inevitable). I guess we all have our ways of getting through the difficulties. For me, it is focusing on the little things...and there are many:
~Like remembering her letters and kindnesses in the mail… I still
have not allowed myself to open this St. Patricks Day card; she put it in the mail for me just hours before she died. For some reason, I think it does more good
for me unopened… a bit of her physical presence that I can still hold onto.
~And reminiscing about the many calls exchanged between us with cooking questions or recipe swapping.
Often when I cook, I think of her.
I still from time to time
stumble upon a recipe she sent me, like today:
Fudge Pie.
She was always adding
her own little personal touches and commentaries to the recipe.
Here was the one she had for the Fudge Pie recipe:
May 3rd, 2010
Hi
Karen, Just thought I would send this recipe for Fudge pie to you if
you ever have a taste for something rich and chocolate! This is good! I
served it with vanilla ice cream. I think the pie is best just a
little bit warm. Since I do not particularly like whipped cream, I tried
this also by just pouring a splash of Irish Whiskey over it...very good
also. Do NOT overcook this ! Good plain too, like a brownie.
Blessings. Love, Mom
~And thinking about the love of books we shared. Talking about what we were reading, enjoying, disliking, loving…. I have held on to 2
book referrals she gave me while she was still alive, and just recently allowed
myself to read one of them:
As I read this particular book, my Mom was
right there with me… I kept thinking of why she liked it, what she thought of
different parts. I am not sure if I will
every read that last recommendation from her…too hard to think that there are no
more.
~And her beautiful
antiques, that are now throughout my house. My Dad wanted me to have them for our new
home. Not a day goes by that I don’t
look at them with warmth and comfort, thinking of my Mom.
~And her dear friends: Mrs. McFarland and Sister Rose Anne and
Louise and Sue. They still follow my
blog, maybe as a way to feel some continued connection to my Mom. (I understand
this need.) I am sure they miss her in their own
ways. But through our continued
correspondence, they have helped me to feel a unique connection to my mom. Their kindness has touched me and warmed me.
Sister Rose Anne sent me
these as a house warming gift (she
knows the special connection we have with ladybugs):
Mrs. McFarland thought of
me recently when she found this book in her Mom’s house. I received it in the mail, along with a nice note, and was so deeply
touched by the thought and the sentiment:
~And my brother-- reminding me of me-- yesterday.
He decided to take on making my Grandma
Buzzelli’s Easter Bread recipe for the first time.
After
many phone calls and texts….he achieved success!
I
told him that I went through the same process many years back, calling Mom when
I was learning how to make it.
It
warmed my heart to be doing for him what my Mom did for me some time ago.
~And my Dad, Lisa and Ray….We have helped each other along the
way, grown stronger, gained insights, developed new abilities. We have come through together and been a family
that stuck together and supported each other, just as Mom would have wanted…and
more importantly, just as she taught us.
~And Lucy, who sometimes will just start singing a song out
of nowhere that was sung at my Mom’s funeral.
“And He will
raise you up.
And He will raise you
up.
And He will raise you up on the last
day.”
It
happened the other day...her singing this. I truly don’t know how she remembers it, as it is not one I ever sing to
her. I have my own ideas of what is
going on, and it has to do with my Mom and her now heavenly connection with
Lucy.
~And my dear hubby,
who knows me so well. Who has
sensed today approaching and has known that not a lot of words need to be
spoken. Just extra hugs. And longer hugs. And extra space. And more understanding. He is truly the best.
All these things do
my heart good. They free up space, so
that when the unpredictable moments of sadness and aching hit, there is room to
cope and maintain.
I heard it said recently: it is better to think of death not as our
loss, but God’s gain. A nice reframe,
and one I am going to hold onto. I think we could all agree: God’s gain was
tremendous… two years ago today.
