Mom Eulogy

November 18, 2015

My mother provided me with some wonderful gifts and I could spend hours recounting them but I’ll mention just a few.

She provided me with a safe haven. As a kid, I clearly remember lying on the family room couch after a busy day outside. She covered me with a warm blanket she’d made and suggested that I rest until dinner was ready. As I began to doze on the couch, I could hear her moving about the kitchen and smell the food she was preparing. She’d placed me in a cocoon of contentment. You’re so fortunate if you have a mother who creates those moments for you,

When I returned home from the Army for the first time, I was greeted at the door by my mother’s hug and the smell of my favorite dish, scalloped potatoes and ham.

No matter how many years passed, her home always remained our home. Whenever I asked about doing or having something, she’d gently remind me, “Trey, this is your home. You’re welcome to anything.”

Her greatest gift to me was the time she spent caring for my daughter Caylee. From the time that Caylee was a rosy-cheeked baby swaddled in a blanket until she was a stunning young lady leaving for college, my mother provided her with massive amounts of loving care. There’s something so amazingly comforting in knowing that your child is in the care of your mother.

Did she ever ask for praise or credit for this or anything else she did for me? Never. She loved her family and would do anything while asking for nothing in return. Never asking for praise. Never shining the light upon herself.

Sometimes the toughest times create the greatest memories. I cried countless times in the past couple weeks yet I’m so grateful to have had that time. I witnessed amazing compassion by nurses and doctors. I spent days upon days with my family and dearest friends. Most of all, I spent time with my mother and continued to learn from her.

For example, under the toughest of circumstances, she was so brave and gracious.

At one point, the doctors gathered around her bed to tell her, regrettably, that there was no more that they could do for her. What did she do? She turned to her long-time cardiologist that delivered the crushing news and said, “I don’t want to leave my family yet…but thank you for all you’ve done for me. I love you.”

We’re fortunate when we can weave our lives together with others. It makes us rich in the most important way. Losing that interconnection leaves an irreplaceable void but we will also have wonderful memories that will live on within each of us.

In the years since my father passed, I have taken his place in holding my mother’s arm as she made her way. It has been a privilege to be beside her. To be her son. Love you, Mom.