30 Letters in 30 Days...Day Three: the parents...

Dear Mom and Dad,
Wow...it's hard to know what to say to you. Dad, you've been gone for so long now I don't really remember what you looked like anymore. I have photos and that helps but as more times passes, you become a distant memory. Yet, you taught me so much when you were here. I learned how to be a decent human being from you. I remember when you worked to bring that Hmong family over from that horrible camp in Cambodia and how much you did to change their lives for the better. This was in sprite of some of your friends expressing their somewhat ignorant racist fears that it wasn't your business to be doing that. I watched you patiently explain to them why it was everyone's business and how that Hmong father hugged you for so long when they arrived at their new home. That made a huge impression on a me, a little girl at the time. You were a good man, Dad. A great father and good friend to everyone you met. At your funeral, we never expected the outpouring of emotions from so many people. I remember that night, and how the funeral director was stunned at just how many lives you touched. He had to open two more room to accommodate them all. In my sorrow, I was proud of you all over again.

And Mom...whew, what to say. I've been seeing you struggle daily in the tenuous place between life and death. Your once "fluffy" body is skeletal and you eat like a tiny bird. I want you to let go, Mom. I don't know why you're staying so strong right now. But I want you to know it's okay to just go. We'll all be okay, Mom. You raised us well and we're strong like you. We will all be fine. Your work here is done now and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Sophie, Uncle Ted and so many more are all waiting for you. I pray that you will close your eyes one night and see them there and take that walk into the light with Dad on your arm as it is meant to be. I love you so much, my strong, smart, funny mother. I love you enough to let you go.

Mom and Dad, you two shaped the person I am today. You each gave me unique gifts and skills. And you taught me to care about people more than things. You showed me that there is good in everyone and sometimes we have to coax it out so they can see it for themselves. You gave me my great siblings! I love them all and don't know what my life would have been like without them. You instilled in me a sense of peace. You showed me the benefit of having high tolerance levels for people and how that helps me in my work and in my life. You gave me a sense of humor and sense of fun! You showed me that hard work is always worth it. I love you both more than these words can ever express and I hope that soon the two of you will be together once again.

With all my love,
Mary Beth