2012 – January 27 - Note From Anne Thomas, Daughter of Ms. Alberta

During mother’s illness, I kept a daily log of medications, visitors and what was going on. I did this more to keep myself focused on what I needed to get done and where we needed to go; if we needed to go.

That daily journal has helped me to go back over the road that mother and I went down together. I don’t know about other caregivers; but as for me, I kept asking myself was there something more that I could have done? Was there something that I did that I shouldn’t have? Was there something that I didn’t do that I should have?

The answer to that last one is yes, I should have taken more pictures of her visitors; I should have given her more hugs. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about mother. There are so many times that I catch myself going to the phone to call her. That would be a really long distance phone call; that is if God has installed phones in Heaven.

Publishing her memoirs is probably the only promise that I made her that I haven’t kept yet. The blog “Ms Alberta’s Memories and Recipes” is probably the only way I will ever have of fulfilling that promise.

At one point in the journal I am worrying about how much time mother is spending in her room with the door closed. I thought she was depressed and trying to keep it from me. That couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

During those times that door was closed; she was sitting in her rocking chair, rocking and talking to the tape recorder. This blog is the result of those recordings.

I love and miss you very much Ms. Alberta; you were a very special person; and I say that not because I am your daughter; but because it is the truth. Some day we will see one another again; in the bright tomorrow of God’s Heaven, within His warm embrace. Until then - rest mother, you earned it.