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Between Mother's Death and Funeral

Things are really difficult. One would think that a person who deals with grief so often would have a better handle his own grief. No so. I have been riding a roller-coaster since I heard the news.

 

When Roy called I was in a meeting discussing minister/patient relationship protochol in Same-Day-Surgery. Just as the meeting was wrapping up Roy called and said "She's gone man." I was together for about a minute - then I could feel myself going into this fog. I told some at the hospital about what had happened but my focus was to get to Roy and mama. When I arrived G.B. was already there. I went in to see mama. It was surreal. I was in a fog. I came out of the room and sat on the couch in the den. Then an anxiety to do something kicked in and I asked if Cotton and Andrew had been called. Cotton had been given the news but Andrew still didn't know. I tried his phones but go no answer. He finally returned my call and I broke the news to him. He said he'd be right over. Bt the time he got there The hospice nurse Gwen had arrived. I called J.O. Patterson to make some arrangements to pick mama's body up and I called for someone to pick up the bed and other equipment mama had been using. Gwen and Roy cleaned mama up for the last time as other people started coming by. We were waiting for someone to pick up the body. The body was picked up about 11:30 and taken to the funeral home. I really can't remember much after that. I remember feeling very sad and not free to express my sadness. I remember calling Bren on the way to mama's house and telling her the news.

I remember Reverend Kneeland and Reverend Price coming to the house and staying a rather long time. Price stayed almost all day. I remember Chaplain Steve Miller coming by and staying for quite a while. He answered my phones for me, took care of any hospital related work that came in and was just there for me. There were others there also but I can't remember who they were. I remember another young lady was there who was aquainted with G.B. She also stayed quite a while. G.G.'s wife Barbara come by but was not feeling very well so she didn't stay very long. My wife Bren came by with one of our sons Cordell. She stayed for a couple of hours or so and they left.

Later two members of Union Valley came by and read Scripture and prayed with us. The helped us with the Obituary until we just couldn't do anything else. They left when they discovered that we were exauhsted.

Friday I got to Memphis later than I wanted to. We had an appointment at the funearl home for 10:00. Roy and I needed to do some business stuff before the appointment. We ended up going to the funeral home first. G.B., Roy and I rode together. Andrew met us there. We picked out mom's casket and made the arrangements. Afterwards Roy and I rode back together and G.B. rode back with Andrew. After the four of us talked for a while Roy and I went to handle some other business. We all ended up back at the house later and received visitors.

Saturday is a blurr to me. I know that we spent time together but I am not clear on what all we did. We talked some about the program and who would be doing what. I cannot remember anything else we did Saturday.

Sunday Bren, Cordell and I went to Union Valley. After service we went by mama's house. Ruthie Hayes came by with her granddaughter and stayed for quite a while. Others came by bringing food and etc. G.B. and I went to get measured for our Tux.

Monday I started out doing a new associate orientation at HealthSouth. I had to come all the way back home before I could be free to get started on some other business matters related to mama's passing. We also went by Mason's Florist to order the Spray for mama's casket.

Tuesday I went to my doctor's office to let them draw some blood to do some retests. Bren and I went to a trophy shop to order something to present to Roy at the funeral. Then we went to the house. There were a few things yet to be done but we mainly received guests all day. Roy, Bren and I met pastor Kneeland at Union Valley and planned the seating arrangements and selected a song for the brothers to march in on. The song is "I Remember Mama" by Shirley Ceasar.

Today is wednesday and things are still foggy. We pick up the Tux today. Cotton should make it in today.  Ann is coming in from Texas with Adrian, G.B.'s son. Sylvis is coming in today so is Roxie and I believe someone from Chicago is coming in also. We will go to the funeral home today around 4:00p.m. to view mama. The funeral is tomorrow... I am not looking forward to it. I believe it will be an overflow crowd in attendance.