The Picture

So, It was 2009, it was a beautiful day in June that my Mother took her last breath on this planet after much suffering.

You can never be ready for that moment really. It's very strange on many levels. Wonderful for the deceased as they move on and leave the pain of this life behind, and horrible for those left behind. I didn't cry for months, it was so odd for me.

I was actually that happy for her.
 

My Mother and I were very close and had been through many changes together. Very hard changes in this life many will never know.

Everybody deals with death in their own way. There is no right or wrong. I was a bit shocked at how I was feeling through the changes I was going through. I always thought it would be different.
 

So, as the day approached that the family would all gather in her hometown of Franklin NC, to lay her to rest, there were many preparations to be done. The sale of her home, the Funeral home,  the local church where her service would be held, and then the graveside service in the graveyard.

It's crazy the amount of energy you have to muster to do these things at a time like that.

All my siblings had flown in and were there which made it comforting for all of us! We were all so relieved my Mother was no longer suffering. It was truly a blessing.
 

The Church service was to be held at her regularly attended Catholic Church in town, This was such a wonderful gesture for so many of her church friends to come together to serve her one last time with a wonderful dinner.  I was so happy to see so many gather to say goodbye to her, it was very well attended.

The church was packed by the time the service began, which was a wonderful comfort to me. Knowing she was loved by so many in the city. She never retired, she always did volunteer work for hospice even though she herself were dying for so many years. Not to many had any idea of it! She was never one to complain.  
 

As we entered the church her picture was at the front on a grand little table along with her prayer book and her Urn.

We all filed in and sat silently awaiting for the priest to begin the service.

I so wanted this to be over as it was hard to sit there for me for some unknown reason.

The whole family was all seated in the front row at the church. There were many of us, and I was just to the right of the little table and could see it very clearly.
 

I felt my Mom close by and wondered if she truly was there, or if it were just "the moment" and me wanting to feel her there?

This priest we were waiting for as we all sat quietly was a Chinese priest who only knew my Mother briefly.

He finally came out a bit late and was on a platform just above my Mothers little table with her picture and Urn on it, which was even  on the floor to where we were all sitting.

As he began speaking, his accent was so hard to understand the whole family were trying to hide our laughing under our breath as he was mispronouncing her name so badly. We could only understand every other word or so he spoke.

I mean it wasn't even close the pronunciation of her name! Can you imagine! A time like this and the priest gets the name wrong because of his accent? Oh boy, I thought. How unfortunate this is. If my Mom were here she would probably correct him! She was a strong, loving woman, but very firm! Things were to be done right!
 

All of a sudden after thinking that thought, her picture that was standing on the little table, threw itself into the isle right up near our feet! We all gasped as this happened. One sister cried out loud! It so shocked her. I thought to myself, 'Mom, you are here"!
There was NO WAY that this could have happened except that it was truly a paranormal act!

I thought to myself this is you Mom, saying correct the priest already!

So I did. I said to the priest, excuse me sir, "you are mispronouncing our dear mothers name"!
He said well, she didn't have to make such a scene, and then he laughed! My brother picked up the picture and set it back on the table. It had not broken, which I took for her not being mad, but being firm to correct the priest!

So, with that the priest corrected himself somewhat and continued the sermon. It was beautiful, short and sweet.
 

It was such a comfort to me to have my Moms picture fly off the table as it did. You see, that was just like her and she could see us all laughing. She would never have allowed any of us to be laughing at church at such as time as this. It just was disrespectful!

Yes, this actually brought me comfort. It's one of the reasons it took me so long to cry at her loss.
I was wondering how long I would feel her presence. It was on and off for awhile following the burial. It did finally dwindle some within the year, but to this day I still feel her strongly. I speak with her in my dreams. But I am well aware she is dead and gone and at peace. I believe the Lord allows this type of happening once in awhile.

And as usual I will say, Truth is always so much stranger than fiction.