We left Milwaukee on Monday with the RV heading toward Ohio and then on to North Carolina. We were looking forward to two weeks on the road and visits with friends we don’t get to see nearly enough anymore. I can’t even begin to count the number of times we’ve followed this route……94 south toward Chicago. For years, while in college, and then while living in Oconomowoc, Nashotah, Bayview, Port Washington and now Milwaukee we would take this interstate. For many years the destination was Park Ridge because we were going to visit my mom. So as you can see I am completely familiar with every mile of this highway.
The last trips to see my mom were back in 2010. She had undergone heart surgery and the rehabilitation did not proceed as she had hoped. Early one morning I got the call from my sister and Dave and I jumped in the car to race to the hospital in order to be with her. I was holding her hand when she took her last breath.
On Monday, as so many times before, I was reading a book while Dave was at the wheel. I had not been paying any attention to the passing scenery. I looked up from my book just in time to see the sign….Golf Road Exit - 1 mile.
And the memory of sitting at mom’s bedside for those last moments flooded back…..every moment clear, the emotions experienced in 2010 filled my heart and a few tears filled my eyes. It happens almost every time we go south on 94…..this exit grabs me and reminds me of my loss. What makes me look out the window at just that moment? Why couldn’t I just continue to the next page and look up five minutes later?
Why?
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