MOTHER | DEATH | COVID19 | CORONAVIRUS | SHELTER-IN-PLACE
The Day The Fence Blew Down
A Mother’s Advice for COVID 19
I was puttering about in the kitchen. Chris, home from working his night job, was watching TV in the family room. We heard the wind howl and then a crash.
“Chris, run outside and see what happened.”
He comes back in the house, “MaryJo, the back fence just blew down. It’s lying on the ground. There’s no other damage, and nobody was walking down the sidewalk.”
“Well, it could have been worse. I’m sure you and your Dad can repair it and stand it up again.”
The phone rings.
“MaryJo, this is Judy. I’m one of the nurses at Manor Care. I’m very sorry, but I have bad news for you. Your Mother has passed away.”
“Chris, Grandma Mary has died. I’m on my way to the nursing home. Please call your Dad at work. Tell him to meet me there.” (This was November 1989 and thus before cell phones.)
Chris turns off the TV and replies, “Oh, I’m sad. I loved Grandma Mary. I’ll call Dad right away. I guess the fence blowing down was Grandma Mary’s way of telling us she was leaving.”
