Four Years Ago

January 31, 2004 my mom passed away. It's been four years. I miss her so much. But, I miss the "well" mom. For the last year and a half she wasn't my mom. Alzheimer's has a way of taking the person we knew away long before the soul goes to heaven. I miss chatting on the phone with her; I miss her stopping over on her way home from golf to see the girls; I miss going to lunch with her at Crossroads Mall when she worked at Hudsons; I just plain miss her. This poem was read at her memorial service.

She is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone

or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back

or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she's gone

or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,

be empty and turn your back

or you can do what she'd want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

Love you mom....