Month's Mind

Month’s Mind

Time does heal, and is healing, and life goes on, doesn’t it. My mother died Sunday morning, July 17, 2011, one month ago today. As my car began backing out of the garage to head to church, Linda tapped on the trunk and I opened my window. “Community called. Your mother just died.” 

It’s a jolt. There is never the right moment to hear it. Almost any other message can be received numerous times. But, “Your mother just died.”  One only hears that once in a lifetime. The first day, that Sunday, was eerie. I had never lived in a world or a lifetime without my mother. As the day wore on I became restless, had to get out. My laughing place was not it. We went for a ride. Past the Massalina Drive house my parents built in 1937, that we moved in two weeks before Gina was born in January 1938. That drive-by was the custom, we had driven by there eighteen years earlier, July 1993, after my father’s funeral. We drove out to Gandy’s restaurant on 390 and had fried mullet, which mama always fixed for me soon as I arrived home on vacation or Navy leave. 

As we drove home, Linda said, “Oh, look at the clouds, how beautiful the sunset is.” I drove quickly to a spot overlooking the bay and took pictures. 


Sunset over St. Andrews Bay on the last day of life that I shared with my mother.

Time does heal

and is healing

and will heal. 

Bubba in +Time

August 17, 2011