It is apparent by how filled up this room is that my Mom was very loved and she will be missed. I will miss hearing her call me sweetheart. EVERYONE was her sweetheart. I will miss hearing her ask the caregivers every time I came to visit, even if I had already met the caregiver and most of the time I did but Mom would say “Have you met my daughter?” She always had us laughing and there was a time where she started to tell stories- many, many stories. The stories were real to her. One of the residents, Margaret was her Grandma. Margaret would walk in the room and Mom would say, Hello Grandma and another resident, Helen, was her daughter. I still joke with Helen and call her sister. But the funniest story was when I came to visit last Easter, we are sitting at tea time and my Mom looked at me in all seriousness and she said, “When did you get out?” I asked her, “get out of where?” and she did a loud whisper and said “JAIL” She asked me why I would do such a thing. You see, she thought that I had been in jail for being a stripper. Well, I didn’t want to argue with her because in her mind it was real and it would only upset her more. So I just told her that it was all a misunderstanding and we finished eating our desserts at tea time. I copied a few messages that were sent to me online shortly after my Mom’s passing. The response to losing my Mom has been beautiful. She was like a second Mom and Grandma to so many. You will notice a common theme in the messages- Mom was always so happy, always smiling, always laughing or making others laugh. Dez McDaniel who used to work here at Careage and was my Mom’s favorite caregiver said, “I remember when I first met her...I knew she would be cool because she had a Sponge Bob Square Pants comforter. You know I loved your mom. She asked me about my friend and my dog and anything I shared with her she would remember. I remember finding a box of old high heeled shoes in the dining room and I tried them on and gave her and some of the residents a fashion show. She laughed so hard. She always announced that you would be arriving on Sunday with Kentucky Fried Chicken and I would tell her to let you know to set extra spots at the table because we liked KFC, too. She would just laugh at me. Thank you for sharing her with us.” Linda Blankenship who also worked at Careage said, “Your Mom touched so many of our lives I will never forget her smile!!” Linda Pickering said, “She was a wonderful woman! I will miss her smile, she was always so happy. She was such a joy to everyone who knew her.” Kim Cundiff who worked at Careage as a med nurse said, “Oh, Sandy...she will be missed...she was such a beautiful woman and I am so glad that I got to know her....thank you for sharing her with us....” Mari Philp who worked at Careage and has been a friend of mine for over 20 years said, “You know I would be there if I could, I loved your mom, you know she is heaven dancing in her pretty red dress, with your dad, I had the great pleasure knowing your mom for about 20years, she was like a grandma to my kids. When we lived in Whidbey apartments, I remember her chasing Anthony around and he would run she got a kick out of it, always had a smile on her face no matter what, she loves you so much, can’t say loved because I don’t want to know she is really gone yet, you both are very lucky to have each other, be strong sandy, celebrate her life, because she is in no more pain.” Kim Roper said, “All our love is sent to you sandy just remember now ma is back with pa he will take care of her and they are both in Gods loving arms.” When my brother, Terry, passed away in 2006, my friend told me the story of when her Uncle was dying. He said he was waiting for the Glory Train to pick him up. He said, "It will be here soon..." Then you could hear him say, "What? But I need to pack my bags." Someone must have told him that he didn’t need any bags for where he was going. Some of his last words were, "the Glory Train is here to pick me up." At Terry’s funeral I mentioned the Glory Train and that I would like to think that he experienced something similar, but if not the Glory Train perhaps our old white Pontiac station wagon that we used to take many family vacations in. It comforts me to think that during my mom’s final moments that the old Pontiac station wagon made another appearance, with my Dad in the driver’s seat and my brothers Terry and Mike in the back seat. On the radio would be playing my Mom and Dad’s song from when they were dating, On a Slow Boat to China and Dad would say, “Come on Ma, get in- we are going to a better place, a place you have never been before; where all your pain is gone and you are now at rest and nothing troubles you anymore.” I will miss you Mom, I love you.