Hey Mom, Would We Have Been Friends On Facebook?
A couple of weeks ago, I woke up refreshed and ready to start a new day. But as I walked toward the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, a sudden sensation, that I can only describe as a pressure or a heaviness, exploded in my chest making it hard to breathe. My mouth started quivering and tears ran down my cheeks. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m not a crier. So this scared me. What was going on? The thought that I might be having a heart attack or a stroke flitted across my mind. I sat down at the kitchen table wondering if I should call someone. After a few moments, I realized that this heaviness was actually a deep sadness. Being a born optimist, this was not a feeling I experienced often.
It was paralyzing. But I calmed myself, took some deep breaths, and made myself get up. Settling back down at the table with a cup of hot coffee, I grabbed my phone to check for messages. That’s when I saw it. The date. And all of a sudden I knew what was wrong and why I was sad. It was the 20 year anniversary of my mother’s death.
My mom. She was beautiful and smart, and she died way too young. My father missed her so much, he followed her in death two years later. The doctors said he died from pulmonary disease but I believe he died of a broken heart.
