10:11 p.m. - 2004-07-09
We all live forever
My Mother passed away 7 1/2 years ago. She was my only surviving parent and all that is left are me and my two sisters. One sister lives in Homebush, Australia. Between the three of us we have 6 children. We are all that each other has left and since I have only one grown child, I have plenty of time to get close to my nephews.

My oldest nephew just turned 18, and I sent him a newspaper clipping about a political issue that I thought might interest him enough to actually take the time out to register to vote and then actually go out on election day and cast that vote. I would love to have him vote for my favorite candidate, but it is much more important that he care to vote and then does so, than vote any way that I would suggest.

This little newspaper clipping that I sent got me to thinking about my mother and about how she would have done the same thing if she were alive. I could just picture my Sister, shaking her head with a smile on her face as Don opened up that envelope and saying "She's just like Mom!." Which got me to the profound thought that none of us really ever die.

Certainly we live on in memories of our loved ones, but those memories only last as long as the people who remember them. Memories are not all that survive though, we also live on genetically.

Sending newspaper clippings and getting politically passionate are only two things that are very "Mom" like in my behavior.

When I look at my sister, Diane, I see my Mother's love for travel, her enjoyment of the local people in the places she traveled, and I see a modern version of a young working woman who left the place of her birth to go and live, marry, and raise a family in a new place, unlike that of her hometown.

When I look at my sister Linda, I see my mother's love of community; of camaraderie with the neighbors, and dedication to the church and her sense of custodianship to those neighbors and church.

We all inherited different traits from my parents as well as some that are similar to each other, yet we have developed them according to our unique experiences and surroundings.

"So", I thought as I sealed up that envelope....."So, Don, Sam, Joseph, Jack, Matthew and my own darling Michelle".....you never really lost your Grandma Dorothy, she is right here in side of your own Mother and your two Aunties who love you all so very much.

previous - next