More Snow Melt

A Farewell Letter to My Mother

30-Day blogging challenge Day 24: July 24, 2011 ~ Prompt: “You've won the lottery! No, not that lottery -- the Goodbye Lottery. For some reason, as Death comes to collect you, he gives you leave to write a farewell letter to your family and friends. What do you write?”

Note to my brothers and sister: Please read this letter to Mama, but before you do make sure that her hearing aids have new batteries. You will find an extra set of batteries on top of the bookcase under the Christmas tree angel.

Dear Mama,

The black winged angel has come to collect my soul, but before taking me to paradise, he is letting me write a farewell letter. I am not happy about this because I expected to outlive you, but there is no arguing with Azreal. He says it is my time and so I must accept his embrace.

I am not sure how much of this letter you will understand, but when we meet, again beneath the Tree of Life I will attempt to state my feelings in more detail.

I am sorry that I am going before you. I wanted to spend the rest of your life in our house taking care of you. I enjoyed sitting on the couch with you listening to you talk. I enjoyed fixing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for you on weekends. I enjoyed watching for the daycare center bus that brought you home during the week.

I know that I sacrificed a lot to care for you, but now that I am on my way into the next world, it does not seem like a sacrifice. I remember the good times we had. I remember going to the nineteen-day Feast with you, to Holy Day celebrations, and to poetry readings before your condition got worse.

There are things I regret, but there is no use going into those now because it is too late to correct the problem. I do not regret the sacrifice required to take care of you. I will give your love to those who have gone before, to those waiting for us to greet them in Paradise.

Mama, if you remember anything from this letter, remember that I love you. I will continue to pray for you everyday that we are apart. I am not sure how much longer you have because that is a question I cannot ask the Angel of Death at this time. I do not think he would answer anyway because each of us must embrace him in our own time and usually without prior knowledge.

Mama I love you!