My Mother

                           

Hello Dear Ladies,

My Mama died an hour ago, in Carrum Downs. She sounded absolutely well when I talked to her just a day earlier. She was 86 years old. I had her in my life a lot longer than many people and it will be hard to get used to not talking to her every day.  She was baptized into Christ when she was 27 years old and somewhere I have a photograph of her standing outside the meetinghouse on that bright summer day in Alaska with my Dad, her hair still wet. She said it was the happiest day of her life next to the day she became a naturalized U.S. Citizen.

Of course I am overwhelmed with missing her. Whenever I called her she asked my husband to pray for her and he prayed out loud over the Skype connection for her, and she prayed for him, too.  These old routines are going to be hard to break, as I know I will dial her number every day for awhile and stop myself when I remember she is gone to her reward.

A lot of you ladies have already said goodbye to your mothers, and I know each one of us thinks we are suffering the worst pain in the world and wonder if we will survive it.

I was making plans to get a ticket to Victoria, Australia to visit her and was going to leave in just a short while. My suitcase is sitting by the front door.

I had two remarkable parents and wish I had learned everything from them and had been more like them.  I am sure many of you feel that way, and that is why we all try to teach the generations to be honoring and wise.

Lydia