Beneath the Wraps

          A week ago yesterday mom was discharged from the hospital A week ago yesterday I drove her home – her actual house.   She wanted me to take her to the one in her mind. A week ago yesterday I drove her to my house where we waited for Nate (my nephew) to come get her and take her to her real home.   A week ago she was still distorted and not satisfied with where she was. A week ago today my brother Patrick and his son-in-law Nate moved some of mom’s furniture.   A week ago today my sister-in-law Sunny and our friend Becky helped pack clothes. A week ago today unbeknownst to my mom, she spent her last day in the house where she started a new life with dad and raised all four of her children. A week ago today my sister Kayla took my mom to the doctor.   A week ago today, Patrick and Sunny and their daughter Ellen rearranged mom’s furnitu...

          For the first time I recently watched “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” – I’m certain it was involved with a lot more symbolism than what I saw.   Timothy came to his mom and dad in the spring and had to leave when the last leaf fell in the fall.            I was crying hard as the show came to an end – nothing to do with Timothy Green or his departure or anything to do with the movie at all.   Just reminiscing the long fall that was present during the last five months of 2012 – symbolizing the same fall as my mother and each of us seemed to be going through with her. Her leaves were falling more rapidly each day – and then came the harsh winds of winter. And it’s been cold.   Bitter cold.           She will never return to spring again.   Not in this life anyway.   The only way she can have sprin...

          Paul Cardall must have been 15 at the time he had worked at the ice cream store. They didn’t hire younger than high school.   But he seemed to have such a junior high awkwardness about him.   But he may have lacked in social skills because of his heart and hospitalization and being in and out of the doctors all of the time.   But I don’t know.   I didn’t really have a whole lot of interaction with him.   I’m sure our difference in age and maturity contributed to that.           Whenever Paul had been assigned to dishes and was able to listen to music – his music – some wholesome music even – the twerpy kid would disappear and he would actually turn into a regular human being.           Corey said he had had some nice conversations with Paul regarding music.   I would have never dreamed that he would ...