R.I.P.

A great lady died this afternoon: my mother-in-law, Sally.



This photo was taken in November in her apartment. The blue prayer shawl was knitted for her by women in our church.

Mom was 88 years old, 4'11", 85 pounds. She lived alone and took care of herself (and watched over all of us) until the cancer was everywhere in her tiny body.

How blessed I was in having such a vibrant, loving "second mother."

Below is the e.e. cummings poem I included in my tribute to Mom on her 85th birthday. Her marriage was a fairy-tale love affair until Dad died in 1992. Black-red roses would suit her perfectly.


if there are any heavens my mother will(all by herself)have
one. It will not be a pansy heaven nor
a fragile heaven of lilies-of-the-valley but
it will be a heaven of blackred roses

my father will be(deep like a rose
tall like a rose)

standing near my

(swaying over her
silent)
with eyes which are really petals and see

nothing with the face of a poet really which
is a flower and not a face with
hands
which whisper
This is my beloved my

(suddenly in sunlight
he will bow,

& the whole garden will bow)

– e. e. cummings