“Now you are sad. But I will see you again and you will be happy. And no one will take away your joy.”                                                                                               

John 16:22

I still remember the exact moment I received the call. I wish I didn’t, but I remember where I was standing, what I was doing, and what I was wearing. My father’s voice on the other end of the line told me that my mother was in the hospital in serious condition, unconscious, and the doctors weren’t sure if she’d ever wake up.

At that moment, my world became very small. All I could think about was what may happen, how this could happen, how fast I could get there, and why was this happening to us? I prayed as hard as I could that night and got to see her the next day. Unfortunately, she never did wake up and passed away a week later. 

It has been more than 2 years now, but I still miss her every day. I wish I could call her to celebrate good news or to commiserate over bad news. I wonder what she’d think of current events, or the Bears’ new coach, or the latest action movie. I still mourn the fact that I never got to talk to her one last time and that she won’t get to see her grandkids grow up, graduate high school, get married, or accomplish everything they hope to do. And I still get bitter that God took her from us way too early with no warning and no explanation.

I doubt that I will ever get over the shock and loss or that I’ll ever fully understand why things like this must happen. We keep her memory alive by sharing photos and funny stories and classic Nani-isms like “If you can read, you can do anything…” with our kids. We stop by the Bethel Memorial Wall often to share news or just enjoy a peaceful moment together. We give thanks for the time we did have together and try to make her proud, knowing that she is watching us always.

Most of all, though, I try to remember that God does have a plan for all of us. We may not always understand the plan but having faith that He is watching over us keeps us moving forward and enjoying the present instead of looking backwards in regret or sadness. I will never stop missing my Mom, but it gives me peace that she is in a better place and that there is one more person to hear our prayers when we need a little extra support. She gave us a lot of joy while she was alive, and she and God continue to bring joy into our lives today.

Prayer: Thank You Lord, for the special people You put in our lives and the “footprints” they leave on our hearts. As we treasure them, may we never forget to let them know how much we appreciate them. Amen!