Much of what I became as an adult, I owe to my stepmother, Jo. We shared a home for only seven years, but she was responsible for my ability to cook, clean, sew, garden, and take care of a new baby at 17. Through the years we moved past any minor conflict we might have had and became close friends.Mom was recently diagnosed with early Alzheimer's, the disease that steals. I visited her in Sacramento this weekend. We sat for hours, gently nudging our common experience for elusive bits of memory. Sometimes there was laughter, but mostly a common sense of loss and longing. The tears are still stuck in my throat.
4 comments:
What a beautiful tribute and so sad too.
Thank you. It was hard to know what to say. Many of her actions are so different and unexpected. But she still shows love and appreciation.
I have been in email contact with Jo for many years, and have wondered why her emails have become infrequent. Sandy, send Jo my love.
Namaste,
Sherry
Thank you Sherry. She has a new computer but finds it confusing to operate. I'm going to talk to my niece, April, about helping her with it. In the meantime, she does enjoy getting letters in the mail. I'll email you her address.
Post a Comment