It's been two years...

Two years ago I was standing at the front of my store when the phone rang. I picked it up, said the standard greeting...it was my dad. His voice was calm, almost ghostly in the way he spoke. "Wayne, you need to sit down..." I didn't, I knew what had happened. My mom was gone. She passed away at home with my father and brother at her side. From what dad told me, the emt's worked on her for as long as they could. They tried to bring her back, but were unable to. My mom was the most loving, kind and gentle person that I have ever known. She always was the referee between my brothers and I when we were kids and my dad and I later on. She never met a stranger, and always was equipped with a smile. I loved to make my mother laugh, and when I would hear my laugh, it would brighten my day. My dad and her met when she was 20 years old. He was in the Air Force stationed in Shreveport. Her mom worked at the Barksdale base. They married 89 days later. That 89 day courtship turned into over 40 years of marriage. My parents are soulmates in the truest sense of the term. They were, it seems, destined to find one another. They were partners, friends, and basically each other's other half. My father has shown great strength since mom has passed, but I can only imagine what he is enduring. My dad and I are both very private people. Mom was the only one who could get either of us to talk about the emotional stuff. I watched an episode of That 70's Show in reruns a few minutes ago. It's the one where Eric and his mom go see a movie together. It reminds me of the time that mom and I went to see a movie. It was called Dragnet. We laughed and spent time together as the friends that we were. When Dragnet comes on now, I stop and watch it each and every time. It's a link to my mom and as crazy as it may sound, at least for a little while...I can imagine she's sitting there beside me. Laughing and smiling, and being there one last time.
I've told you about the fact that she helped build my love of comics, would play soccer and baseball in the yard so the "teams" would be even. I miss her a great deal and just felt like telling some friends.