I’m up. I can’t sleep. My throat hurts. I have a headache. It would seem I’ve caught my son’s cold. I want my mom. Even when you’re a middle aged woman whose been without her mother for many more years than she was with her, you still want mom when you’re sick. That’s just the way life works.
The very first time I ever rode in a limousine was the day my mother was buried. I remember it taking us to the same Catholic church we had been to countless times before. My parent’s faith forced me in those pews every Sunday. It was never my choice. This time, though, I would not be bored. I would not be resentful. On this day, my sadness would not be able to make room for any other feelings.
I don’t remember much from that day. I can’t tell you what I wore or what priest said in his eulogy. All I remember is the casket and the rain. I sat, staring at the box in utter disbelief that my mother’s body was inside. Every second that ticked away was one closer to never having her near me again. Then, the skies opened up to a torrential downpour.
I remember it being loud, painfully so. It was so loud it seemed as if the drops could pierce my skin. It made you duck for cover even though you already had it. The severity of the storm made sense. It seemed fitting that the sky was falling on the day my mother would be put six feet under. And, as fast as it came, it stopped. The clouds parted just in time for us to stay dry as we departed the church and got to our cars.
Then, it came again, absolute torrents of rain running in every direction until we arrived at the cemetery, where it stopped again. We said our last farewells at her graveside and returned to our cars. As soon as we began our procession back to the funeral home, buckets of water fell upon us. We couldn’t help but laugh. Only mom could make this so. She was the kind of woman who had the power to stop and start weather at her will.
I was sixteen when cancer took my mother from me, but the truth is I never really had her. Beneath her stoic exterior there was always an undercurrent of sadness. I could not tell you she was a nurturer. You never ran to her to feel comfort, but she had a brand of dry humor that made her endearing and she was the smartest person I’ve ever known. In our home, under the suffocating atmosphere created by our father, she held her own with an admirable strength.
The thing about mothers is, no matter how distant or imperfect they are, a child will always want their love. Even now, almost 30 years after losing her, knowing if she were alive she would be less than sympathetic to my sore throat, I still want my mom to hold me. I want her to make me a cup of tea and bring me a blanket and tell me everything is going to be okay.
My mother’s not here. She won’t tuck me in. She can’t bring me medicine. There will be no positive maternal affirmations. So, here I sit, on the porch in my purple plaid pajama pants and my weathered sweatshirt, with chilly feet and aching joints. I don’t care that I’m cold. It matters not that I’m uncomfortable because all around me is the sound of rain.
If you’ve ever wondered why I love the rain, why it comforts me and makes me smile, now you know. The patter I hear on the windows, the mist that makes the leaves glisten, the puddles and grey skies are not just a reminder of the day she left me.
They’re a reminder of her strength and power and determination. They bring me back to the day she made her presence known. My mother may not be here in her mortal form, but she is alive in every drop of rain that falls from the sky. Right now, that is all the nurturing I need.
*Featured image courtesy of Pixabay.
Wonderful post x
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Thank you!
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Beautiful.
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Thank you.
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What a poignant story.
Thank you for visiting me today – it led me right over to you π
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Thank you. I was very glad to have found you.
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What an absolutely beautiful piece! You are such an amazing writer, Christine. Your heart was so wrapped up in this precious tribute to your mom. β€
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Thank you so much! That’s so sweet of you to say.
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Ah, a child will always love their momππ Great postπ
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Thank you.
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I love this – beautifully written and touching.
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Thank you.
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I was supposed to be in bed 20 minutes ago, but instead I’ve started reading you. If I have a headache tomorrow at work it will be worth it. Compliment eh? You conveyed your feelings so beautifully π
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Thank you.
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Christine, I found your Blog, and how delighted I was to read this particular piece. You are a talented writer.
You were able to transcend the reader back to a time when they may have experienced loosing a loved one. You write in a way that you make the reader able to relate to your feelings. You paint a beautiful picture with your words.
I saw the rain, I saw the despair and I felt your Mother’s strength. Amazing piece β€
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So glad you found it. Thank you so much!
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Such a touching post … I’m hours away from.picking my mum up from the airport. Can’t wait to see her after so long π
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Really beautiful x
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