Mom

​Simple pleasures delight me.
Unexpected beauty.
The golden light of autumn.
Laughter.
Parades. I spent a lovely afternoon last weekend sitting in a beach chair watching the Veterans’ Day Parade with leaves falling around me from the sidewalk tree.
My mother was a delight. And, she is always on my mind on Veterans’ Day. The day her father was born. The day he died. And the day Mom saw him waiting for her while she took her last breath. Her smile when she saw him in the light was complete delight. “I see my Dad”, she whispered through tears of love while she struggled for breath. Then she breathed her last and her hands, holding my sister’s hand and mine, relaxed. All the wrinkles, age, care, and worries fell from her face and she looked young. At peace. It was such a gift to be with her in her final moments. She is still with me in spirit. I still feel her arms around me, feel her love – and her delighted laugh as something unexcepted or silly. She gave me sense of delight, my sense of humor, love for simplicity and elegance, love of music, and my penchant for changing home decor with each season.
I strive to emulate her grace, her acceptance of what life throws, her patience. It is a struggle.
I miss you, Mom. Every day.
My mom died on November 11, 1999.  These are some of her drawings.