CITY OF ANGELS

I'm in the city of Angels. It's the place where I grew up. This is the first time I can say I've actually met angels in this city though. They have names like Tanisha, Cherry, and Pam. They have been caring for my mother who is dying. They care for her as though she was their own mom. We couldn't ask for better care.

Mary Jo Walter is the woman who wiped my nose when it was running. Who dabbed my knees when I skinned them She's the woman who had just the right words of advice at just the right time. She's been there through thick and thin. Soon she won't be here. The void and the pain will be indescribable.

It hasn't been easy being here. I have five sisters and two brothers. We bolster one another. We all have our moments, but then one will pick the other up. A hug, a rub of the shoulder, a sign that we're here to do what mom did so well. She won't leave the hospital she's in. She knows it, I know it, we all know it. She has eight children, a ton of grandchildren, and great grandchildren. On Sunday we all gathered and my mom was performing. Telling stories, making us all laugh, before she started to doze off. At one point she looked out at the crowded room and said, "Look what I have created."

My mom has created something special. She's created so many lives, and touched so many lives. Today we were at the hospital again. Next door is the persistent patient. Her name is Elma. She drives the nurses nuts. She's constantly hitting the buzzer, and shouting "Nurse! Nurse! Nurse!"

Today one of the nurses came in with a boom box to try to keep her occupied. She said "Elma you ready to dance!"
She turned on the music, it was the Average White Band. At a moment when our family was gathered around my mom, the music had a special irony. It was my son Trevor who recognized it. "Why are they playing this music!"

He said it as the chorus blared out, "Play that funky music till you die, till you die!"

I hadn't thought about the music until that time. It bothered me. I sensed the irony. As my family gathered around the most dominant figure in our lives. Here was a song playing next door, "till you die, till you die!"

But just then the music changed the music seemed to fit the times just right. We were all standing or sitting gazing at my mom as Frankie Valli sang, "You're just too good to be true, I can't take my eyes off of you." That's it mom, you are just too good to be true!