She just needed to hear those words from him one more time. She had confirmation of a good life lived–that she was loved–that she made a difference here on Earth. Within seconds, she was sleeping peacefully. She was ready for the next chapter. It was time.
Mom died in Duluth at 1:10 am, shortly after smiling that one final time.
She lived a good, long life and gave me the ability to do the same. Tonight, for the first time in more than 64 years, I won’t be able to talk to her.
But I’ll ignore that reality for a bit longer and still keep trying. And I’ll start with this:
“I love you, Mom.”
