Mom

On January 29th 1996 I lost one of the most important people in the world to me. My Mother.

My mom was not a healthy person. She had diabetes from childhood, she had asthma, she had so many allergies she carried a note card to pass to the doctors, she had carpel tunnel, she had acid reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome. She took so many medications I am amazed she could function at all and didn't accidentally O.D. She had tons of stories about her 'wild' days. Back when she went out and did things. Back when she wasn't throwing up every other day with a migraine. Back when she wasn't blind for days at a time from her migraines. She spent most of her time at home, curtains drawn, smoking, watching soap operas, drinking coffee, while wearing a t-shirt and underwear.

Sometimes my Mom would beg God to kill her.

Even with all these negatives, my Mother was the most impressive woman I've ever known. She had such a big personality. For all her illnesses, she was beautiful. She could walk into any room and have any man she wanted eating out of her hand. She was intelligent. Sporting a vocabulary that had others running for a dictionary. She could cut you to the quick so eloquently, you wouldn't even realize it until later. She was strong in her opinions. When she spoke others listened. She gave the best hugs in the world. She smelled like the best perfume. She cooked circles around anyone, but stay out of her kitchen!

My Mom was like anyone else. There was good and ugly things you could say about her. Her personal life, was personal, and not meant for a blog. It was good and ugly too.

My Mom loved me, and even though there were times as a teenager that I hated her. I know that if she would have stayed with us I would have grown to appreciate her as time went on.

In January 1996 my Mother stood up and said "I feel funny". She died on the floor in front of my Dad and Grandmother. Apprx 45 minutes later they revived her and put her on life support. For days we waited in the hospital for a sign, that there was a chance, she was still 'with us'. That sign never came, and on January 29th, we 'pulled the plug' on Ina Louise Keatts.

It's been 15 years since that day. I know where she is, and I know she is happy there. As my family has grown with births and shrunk with deaths I know she is with us. I know one day I will walk up to her, and she will give me her best hug, and all of this will be worth it.