Mom's House
by Ted Hayman

It is 5:30 in the morning. I sit alone in the living room unable to sleep. It has been a restless night. It is dark except for the light across the road, and the light from Keith’s building. The clock on the VCR is blinking and I close my eyes to block it out. When I do, memories of the past come flooding back. The VCR clock seems like a heartbeat and I am reminded that this house no longer has a heartbeat. It was Mom’s “home”, and now it is Mom’s house. Last night Mom finished her journey and took the last step home to be with the Lord. Now Mom has a new “home”.
Mom had been in the hospital eleven days. Mom had said when she died she wanted her family around her and we were. Lil and Linda took turns sitting with her around the clock and the others visited when they could. Last weekend when I was sitting with her she woke up for a short time and said, “Nothing will ever be the same again”. She said this with much sadness, almost crying. Mom’s two greatest loves were her Lord, and her family. She did not want to leave her family.
Driving up the road from Pleasant Valley Hospital, Sallie said I would wake up this morning and say, “What is different about this day? I don’t have a Mom anymore.” She was right.
Mom and Dad made this house a home.
It is now July and time for the reunion. I have not written anything on this since then. What do I say about Mom that everyone doesn’t already know? She lived the way she believed. Everyone that knew her loved her. She worried that she did not talk enough to her grandchildren to teach them about her Lord. But every day of her life she showed her love for the Lord in the way she lived. I have heard her say she wished she could buy the grandchildren things for their birthdays or Christmas. Mom gave to her family something that money could never buy. She gave us love and the knowledge of Jesus.

Mom’s favorite time was when her family was together. She enjoyed it so much. I think that is why she was worried about nothing ever being the same again. I think she worried that we might all lose contact and no longer get together like we did. I am so glad Phyllis and Lil had the foresight to have her house put in Keith’s name and mine. It may be in our name, but it belongs to all of us. It is still Mom’s house. We still refer to it as Mom’s house and everything in it as Mom’s. We still say “I think Mom has some of those, or that, at her house”.

I know Mom would have wanted for us to still get together there. That is why it is important to me to try to keep the house in good shape and looking nice. I think it is important to Keith also. He and Leslie work hard at keeping everything outside looking so nice and well kept, just the way Mom liked it. It provides a good place to be together, and also, it is a connection to Mom. Things may not be the same, but there can still be love and good times at Mom’s house.