Grandma Clara’s Angels!

“But she wasn’t around, and that’s the thing when your parents die, you feel like instead of going in to every fight with backup, you are going into every fight alone.”
― Mitch Albom, For One More Day

No one can prepare you for the death of a parent.  

To help me, my family, and friends, God’s angels were present when my Mom passed away.

The days of my Mom’s wake and funeral were some of the most beautiful, blue-skied, cold, crisp days that I can remember.

The beautiful picture above is just one of the many angelic clouds that hovered above my home and the funeral parlor where family and friends gathered to say good-bye to my Mom.

In all of the pictures, angels can be seen ascending into the heavens.  

We believe them to be Grandma Clara’s angels.

A message from God giving us a sense of peace and knowing that she was with Him.

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Grandma Clara, as she was known to all of my Cleveland family, had a magnetic personality.

Her smile a light to many in their days of darkness.  I never met one person who disliked her, or spoke ill of her in any way, shape, or form.

Grandma Clara molded me into the person I am today.

Her love, faith, charity, and friendship were without condition.  She loved and accepted everyone for who they were with no judgment.

Her faith was unshakable up until she took her last breath.

She gave her heart and soul to help others whether monetarily or through selfless acts of charity.

Her friends were of all ages, religions, colors, and sex.

There are times when I can feel her around me.

A smell.

A song.

A sense of peace.

I still talk to her – no, I’m not crazy although some think that questionable.

She was my mother.

She fed me.

She bathed me.

She nursed me when I was sick.

She was my best friend.

Her love was unconditional.

I miss her every day and sometimes forget that she is gone.

Last week, the realization of her death hit me out of nowhere.

Painting, I heard a song that reminded me of her. 

All of a sudden…..

Tears started streaming down my face.

Then I sobbed.

“I want MY MOMMY!!!”, screamed inside my head.

Yes, this almost 50 year old wanted her Mommy!  

I stood there painting as I sobbed silently with tears streaming down my face.

Why?

For what reason?

I don’t have the answer.  I can’t even remember the name of the song that triggered my emotion.

It’s been three and a half years since she returned home to heaven; yet, there remains a tiny hole in my heart that only she can fill.

She told me once that the hardest thing she ever experienced in her life was the death of her mother, her best friend.

I now know the feelings that she tried to express.

There are no words.

It is a feeling and a loss that is indescribable.

Only those who have experience this loss understand it.

My friend told me that she believes heaven is a parallel universe.

I hold that close to my heart.

This brings me peace.

This brings me solace.

Heaven always seemed so far away.

It doesn’t anymore.

It is possible that her heavenly arms embrace me today and every day.

Know that you are not alone.

Angels in all forms embrace us each and every day!