Well, what a week. Arrive home safe and sound from Romania on Saturday, July 12; waited for my luggage for 1.5 hours. Nothing better to do when you want to get home….at least I didn’t have a connection in Charlotte. Came back to work and hit the ground running w/ a vengeance. Then, got an email that my friend Paul Hendrix’s mom had passed away. Had a bunch of projects pop up toward the end of the week, then I drove to Atlanta on Friday to attend Jackie Hendrix’s funeral, and give some support to Paul.
As the funeral ended (which was so inspirational and truly glorified God; way to go, Steven), a side door opened at the front of the chapel, and the funeral home attendees began to move flowers out of the way; I was presuming to move the casket outside, and onto the burial plot. As the pianist was vamping on the song, “if you could see me now…”, I kept hearing the words “Saying goodbye, saying goodbye..” over and over again in my head. Paul and his family were saying goodbye to their mom, who had fought a good fight and finished the race and was already celebrating w/ Jesus.
And then it hit me….I needed to say goodbye to my mom. During the week of her funeral, and even after it, I was so into “take care of Dad” mode, and trying to keep things going, that I never got to say goodbye… Tammy, Dad, and I were all by her bed when she went to be w/ Jesus, but it just didn’t seem like good bye. So, I said good bye to my mom, my wonderful, loving, awesome Mom. I feel and felt gypped, that she only moved her to Charlotte to move on to heaven. Why couldn’t she be around more? Now, I’m feeling some feelings for her, and missing her. But, I needed to say good bye, and I did.
My prayers will be w/ Paul, Patty, and the whole Hendrix family over the next few weeks. I know they will be saying goodbye to Jackie… and I’m grateful for an opportunity to say goodbye my own Mom.