Thursday, April 1, 2010

One Year, One Minute, One Woman

It has been one year since I last held my mom's hand, kissed her face, felt her touch. It has been one year since I last watched my dad comb mom's hair and apply her lip gloss because she hated chapped lips. It has been one year since I literally watched the spirit, the essence of who my mom is actually leave her shell that we call a body.

It has been one year.

Minute by minute since those last moments, my soul has been on a journey to learn how to to live a life without her on this earth. Minute by minute I have grieved and pushed to live a life that would honor all that she taught me. Grief, unimaginable pain is measured more in seconds, but minute by minute we (those that loved and were loved by her) have toiled to find joy because she would desire only that in our lives. My soul has missed her every minute.

Minutes are a better measurement.

This one woman made me laugh so hard I would literally pee my pants (even before having children). One of my favorite memories is of mom and I dancing in the living room at our house in Oblong. We had this old stereo, and dad had his deer head hanging on the wall by the wood stove. We were dancing crazy and we started jumping. The deer head fell off the wall, and we both looked at each other -- scared to death of what Dad would think. She turned the music down, looked at the deer, and then said, "I hate that thing anyway..." and then she turned the music back up full blast! We danced until we were laughing so hard we fell down. I can still see that room, feel that music and experience that love. She taught me to live life. PS Sorry dad--I know this is a new story for you.

One GREAT Woman!