2/11/12 - Marion King... my mother

It's been a difficult week.  My mother passed away on Tuesday morning.  For three and a half years, Mom has mourned the loss of my Dad.  They were married for 57 years at the time of his death, and Mom could just never cope with being without him.  She spent her last year in a nursing home and seemed to simply be waiting... for her Bud.  I know that God is good... so I am sure that Mom and Dad are now together again!

My daughter, Jill, reminded me, "Remember that neither Grandma nor Grandpa would want you to be sad for them.  They would want you to be celebrating that they are together again and happy.  You are such a strong person.  Show them that you are strong.  Allow them to be looking down and be proud of you for the strength that you reach so far inside to find.  Remember they are happy and that is what they want for everyone."

My son, Danny, was a solid rock for me to lean on last week.  I'm glad he's been working out... cause I needed his strong shoulders.  :-)

My best friends, my childhood friends, Debby and Brenda, were also my constant living angels.  We are the same age and they knew my parents as well as anyone else on earth.  We moved to Paden City when I was 3 years old and lived right next to each other while we were growing up.  We shared so many memories of our parents!  It was very healing.  Debby and Brenda gave me a beautiful angel, with these words inscribed:

Perhaps they are not Stars, 

but rather openings 

where our Loved ones shine down 

to let us know they are Happy.

Ric wrote this beautiful tribute to my mother... and to my father, Charles "Bud" and Marion King.  It describes so very well their love for each other and how precious the "little things" are that make up our days.

Marion was a lover,

She loved her children,
She loved her grandchildren,
She loved her home,
She loved her friends,

But more,
What I learned from Marion, 
was her profound love for her Bud.  

Bud, who was truly her best "bud"... 
Was her reason, her purpose, 
her partner in flea market picking!

It was always obvious that she took full responsibility for his healing and healthcare.
It was her natural place to bring his food to him... 
To listen to his barks or barbs, and hear only the love that echoed around them.
She knew her Bud, and
Bud knew his Marion,

They had their chairs... 
The chairs that staged the talks, phone calls, TV chatter, 
and many serious matters of family and friends.

Yes, Marion had her Bud.
And Bud had "the most beautiful girl in the world"... As he often said.

She would walk out of the room and so many times he would look me square on and say, "There's a good woman"... or, "I just love that woman."
Often enough I'd notice his eyes welling with tears.  
Bud had his Marion.

Marion lived for her love of the most important person in her life.
The one who knew her intimately,
Emotionally,
Who cried with her,
Laughed with her,
Ate with her,
And sat across from her every day of their modest and humble lives together. 

I recall her telling me how happy she was on the day she was able to have saved enough money to pay off their home.  
Ah, but not so much for holding the deed, as she was so happy to hand it to her Bud and offer some ease to their finances.  
Bud had his Marion.

Bud could talk religion, politics, astronomy, history, and a hundred other subjects of which Marion had little, or no interest.  But... 
Not long ago I sat in Bud's chair and was rambling on about some social issue, or political ideas... Marion was looking at me with a glazed-over look that I took as my cue to stop.  I did, and she quickly told me that she loved listening to me... It reminded her of Bud.

So for me, 
to know Marion, was to know her relationship with her best bud, Bud.
The old phrase "joined at the hip" was quoted for just such a couple as Bud and Marion, 
for one without the other was incomplete... 
Deficient...
and especially Lonesome.

It is right that souls join to travel this life.  It is fitting that they should continue in life beyond this world.

Look over your left shoulder........
Did you see them there?  
Holding hands, smiling, glowing with the love they have always known, 
and yet even brighter as they now walk among the Divine.

They are here.
They are happy,
They are more alive than ever,
And they are now complete.

Marion is with her best Bud,
And Bud's with the prettiest girl in the whole universe!

CELEBRATE!