My mom passed away @ 18 December 1999, the same day my youngest son graduated from UNCW. We spent the whole day in Wilmington on campus for this event. We got home late. I had gone to bed. I was dogged tired. The older son was home on leave. He was sitting up with his mom, talking, when the phone rang. It was my brother Mike calling from New Bern to tell me that mom had been transported to the hospital there, but she had died in transit. I got my clothes on. Then my son and I went to New Bern. Mike was outside when we walked up. He said her body had already been taken to a reefer out back. I insisted on seeing her body. A hospital aide took my son and me to the back. When I came back, I was inches away from collapse. After talking with family, I decided to go back home, but I could not drive. My son had to drive.

Another sad note is that a year earlier, my best friend, whom I considered the sister I never had, died on the same day. I performed part of her memorial service.

I guess I’m saying this to say something to someone who needs to read this. Never let a day go by without giving appreciation to those who mean so much to us. When I met Libby, she and her mom were on the outs. I told her she needed to make amends, and she did. Her mom, long gone now as well, and she kept up conversations from that time till she, too, passed. Now, like me, she wishes we could pick up the phone or go over and visit for a spell. It’s better to have a conversation with our loved ones than to weep over a casket. We can meter our visits, if necessary, but keep communications open. I miss my mom. She’s been gone 26 years, but I can still hear her voice at times. Her laugh was contagious; her wit was sharp. She did have a serious side, especially the night I gave my heart to the Lord. She looked me in the face when we got home and told me how proud she was of me for surrendering my life. She was far from perfect, but how many of us are? She was my mom.