Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

First of all I would like to thank you all for coming to see my mother for the last time. I would also like to thank you for coming to show respect for her and the love you have for our family.

It took quite a few years for mom and I to get to know each other for who we truly are. There wasn’t one time that she didn’t talk about all of you especially her mother, sisters, brother and her step-children. And, by the way she never called you her step-children; she spoke of you as if she had given birth to each and every one of you. She always talked to me about issues which arose with all of you but, always knew and hoped everything would work out all by itself. And at times, it did take awhile but it always worked out the way she wished it would and then, everyone was happy again. To Morris, who I always considered my father-when she spoke of you her eyes would light up and she would have this huge smile and a grin on her face. This told me that even to this day, she truly was still in love with you and you always showed you were still in love with her. She always thought the world of you.

To my husband Ray she spoke about you also like you meant the world to her. She was very proud to have you as a son-in-law. Especially when she would notice all the time that you were very much like her Morris when you said and did certain things. To Maggie, Julia, Roxanne, and Gary; she told me how you all meant the world to her. She was very proud to have such friends who were family to her. I thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for all the times you spent with my mother. And again, she would agree with me when I say this.

To my son Lenny and Jebby, Joe, Sherry, my daughter Ashley and my brother Terry; she was always so proud and full of love when she would say she had been sitting and visiting with you. It made her feel so happy especially when she thought she had no where to go and no one to talk to.

Ma, always complained about me writing a book. When I asked some of her friends what she was up to, I’d call them on the telephone. They would let me know what was up, then I knew everything, even before she told me!

I was only checking up on her, to make sure she was all right when I wasn’t there for her. Finally, to all other friends, Bonnie, Carl, Karen, and Jake and anyone else who I may have forgotten to mention; thank you all for the friendship and love you gave my mother. We must all say good-bye to her now, but in the end we shall all meet our loved ones when it comes to be our time to go to the Lord.

Thank you so much for being here today. I send my love to each and everyone of you for being with us. Your presence, with Ma, and our family shall never be forgotten. Neither will what you have done for us in our time of need.