Beloved,
I held my mom’s hand last week. I had driven the 600 miles
in record / but safe time.
She did not know that I was coming, but even though her neck is twisted and her head down; she whispered, “Lonnie, Lonnie’s here”. There were two young nurse aids helping here get back in bed, as I got there.
Her body is twisted by Parkinson’s. Her hands and arms are bruised and black from needles and bruising. For a bit more than two days I was able to feed her, joke with her and pray for her. She is loved by all the staff, because she does not complain, and tells them, thank you and that she prays for their young babies and boy friends that are mean or… she just loves them. It was humbling for me to see them all drop to their knees and look into her eyes and say “sassy, I love you”. She would then call them by name and with great difficulty pat their face and say she loved them..
The morning I left, was holding her bruised hand in mine, my head touching hers and I found myself without words. In the middle of my prayer, I realized that I wanted to be like my mom. How did she win, such love from others? she expresses love. When these young girls go home, they know someone who takes care for them, loves them. They have been, call girls, bikers, and professional strippers. It does not matter where we come from, what is most important is that we are headed in the right direction. We all behave better when we are loved. Like my mom, I choose love.
As I was speechless in the middle of a prayer, and tears dripped off my nose, our heads touching she whispered, better go now Lon. I hope that my heart always feels love before anger or judgment. I can only imagine when I will see her again, or if I will in this life.
I felt like mom’s love reached beyond my presence into the heavens. She seemed to connect heaven to my very being. And though a sinner, I saw her connect to each of those young girls who needed to be encouraged, and help them as if she was a youth herself..
I have been blessed and have seen first hand how real love transcends age. It sure was worth the trip, to see how to love.
Your Brother
Lon
