I am often reminded how Blessed I am to have Mark as my partner. As we approach the 14th Anniversary of my Mom’s passing, I am reminded of one of those times, he knew what I needed, more than I did. On 4/22/06 we had been to the hospice my Mom was at in the morning with all three kids. My siblings had gathered there to discuss her obituary & funeral service. We knew she was at the end, but we didn’t know how close she actually was. The hospice nurses know the signs when a person is close to passing, so we were counting on them to let us know. After seeing my Mom & having the meeting, Mark & I decided to take the kids swimming at the Y. When we got out of the pool, we discovered several messages that Mom was getting closer to passing & the nurses thought there were only hours left. Mark had recently decided to rejoin a Wedding/Gala Band he had taken a break from because the girls were too tough for me to handle alone. Teale had become quite unpredictable & explosive, so we knew it was a time in our life we both needed to concentrate on our family. As we came out the other side of that stage, we had decided Mark could rejoin the band. The money was decent & Mark needs that musical release. Unfortunately, the very first gig he had agreed to do, was that night. Our neighbors agreed to help with the kids, so I could be at my Mom’s side. Mark, in my opinion, needed to go to the gig. It was way too late to find a sub & it could be several hours before my Mom passed. He could come after the gig. Plus, if you know me well, I was sure I could do this alone. Well, Mark would call the band leader behind my back & tell them he was sorry, but he was going to be with me. I have thought about this, more times than not. Mark was with me as my Mom took her last breath at approximately 10pm. If he had gone to the gig, he would have been in the middle of it. His being with me, was exactly what both of us needed. I can’t imagine not having him at that very difficult & poignant moment of my life. I can’t imagine trying to describe the honor it was to be there next to my Mom. I was so proud to be with him as he said goodbye, he leaned over and asked my Mom to say hello to his Dad for him. Maybe I needed Mark or maybe he needed me? Either way, it was & will always remain one of the most precious moments of my life, when we stood, hand in hand, as my Mom’s soul departed...
