It was exactly like this 20 years ago. Perfect skies, sunny, high of about 80 with just a slight wind. The only difference is that it was a saturday instead of a wednesday. I didn't have to look any of this information up as it's ingrained in my head forever.
I woke up really early and headed to the record store to get in line to buy concert tickets for the Rolling Stones. Yes, that's how we bought concert tickets back in those days. I bought a couple tickets in about the 30th row for the September show at Soldiers Field in Chicago.
I remember pulling into my driveway all excited and told my neighbor how lucky I was that day. I quickly changed clothes and headed out to my friends house on Fox Lake. We were just lounging around on the boat deck when the phone rang. I was called to the phone as it was my Dad. Not a lot of small talk as he told me the ambulance came but my Mom didn't make it. It wasn't totally unexpected as she had been sick for a couple years. Still, she was only 53 and it was just too soon. I've never had a lucky day go that far south in a matter of seconds.
Losing a parent will stay with you forever. I don't think anyone ever really gets over it. Twenty years later and this day still puts me in a really bad mood.
I'm gonna go now. Tomorrow I'll post a couple of pics and a couple of my favorite stories of my mom.
Later
You brought tears to my eyes. I know exactly how you feel.
ReplyDelete