Sunday, May 12, 2013

JUST ONE MORE KISS

                                          

May 11, 2014

I wrote this last year on mother's day and it was the last thing that I wrote on the blog all year. The article still reflects my thoughts and so I am offering it up once again.  Time is always much shorter than we ever imagine.  
   
Back in 2004 I saw for the first time someone without a face.  She had a scarf across her face and as she walked past me the scarf was swept to one side by an air conditioning vent.  The only feature left on her face were two beautiful brown eyes.  Her deep suffering went far beyond the physical pains she must have endured.  My heart ached for her.
 
Now in 2013 we are blessed to have surgeons able to do complete face transplants.  I can't help but think of the 2004 woman without a face and wonder if she is one of those blessed recipients of a face transplant.  Every time I see or hear about face transplants I rejoice for the people.  Recently  I read an article about a transplant and a picture was included with the story.  The donor's daughter was kissing the recipient on the cheek and commented that she could now kiss the face of her mother once again.

The article made me think of my own dear mother who died in 1996.  Oh how I would love to kiss her cheek just one more time.  My mother was not a kisser.  I am sure she did when we were young but as we grew up I don't remember my mother kissing me or my siblings.  But I know she loved to be around babies and would sit for hours cuddling them. And I know that she loved us. When she was stricken with Alzheimer Disease she would at times insist that she was pregnant.  There was no way to dissuade her.  She would insist that we needed to get busy and purchase a crib. As her dementia progressed I took every opportunity to kiss her sweet little face knowing the time would come when she would be gone.  I miss you Mom.