Rest in Peace, Mrs. B

FAMBB and I were locker partners, in each others lives, every day, by choice, for years.  We decorated our little spaces together; Gone With the Wind held a distinct place of honor for quite a while, as I recall.  

We grew up side by side, stumbling through our teens, she, a Catholic girl with 7 siblings and I, a Jewish girl with attitude.  There were many things which held us together, not the least of which was that I found her stories about home as interesting as she seemed to find mine.  

Most of our stories were about our mothers.

We loved our mothers and they loved us, no doubt about it.  We knew that deep down they were fine women.  It was just all the stuff surrounding the wonderfulness that got in the way.

You remember, don't you?  Clothes (That's a short skirt, isn't it?)  Hair (Do your bangs have to go into your eyes?)  Dating (What's wrong with your cousin's friend's brother?  He seems like a nice boy....)  One of us could start and the other could finish.  We could be aggrieved as she drove us up one street and down another and around and around and around our town.  No, we could assure our mothers, we were not joy riding; we were complaining riding.  

We shared advice and late night snacks at the diner, but never stayed out too too late.  We knew our moms were waiting up for us.

And now her mom, having lived 94 years, having known 27 grandkids and 30 great grandkids, having raised my life-long friend, has died.  There's another rent in the emotional universe, because losing your mother is, well..... losing your mother.

I'll remember her smile.  I'll remember that she recognized my voice, from behind, after 20 years, across a parking lot (okay, I'm loud) and that, rather than tease me about my volume, she congratulated me on grabbing her attention so that she could say Hi!

Did I mention a hole in the emotional universe?  

Rest in peace, Mrs. B.  You always knew there was a God; I know, for sure, you are with the angels.

May your memory be a blessing, now and for always.