Stay calm, Penny, I told myself as I took a deep breath. I knew pushing her and arguing with her wouldn’t work.
“Okay… how about this,” I began, hoping she would consider my suggestion.
“Why don’t you come live near us? I’ll find you a nice house nearby, and we can see each other every day.”
Mom looked at me with a blank face.
“I mean…” I continued, “You won’t have to be alone and I’ll be able to look after you this way.
What do you say?”
That’s when a lovely smile spread across Mom’s face.
“You’d really do that for me, Penny?”
“Of course, Mom,” I said, taking her hand.
“We’re family. But if you agree, I need you to let go of this… this memorial you’ve built. It’s not healthy, and it’s not real.
Let’s take it down and start fresh, okay?”
She hesitated but eventually nodded.
“Alright, Penny. If it means being closer to you, I’ll do it.”
A week later, I stood beside Mom as we watched the cemetery workers carefully remove the headstone bearing my name.
And then it was time for the shrine in the living room to be dismantled.
Soon, we began preparing for Mom to move near our place.
Honestly, the transition hasn’t been easy, but I know it’s the right one. I just feel so grateful that I decided to visit Dad’s grave that day because if I hadn’t, I could’ve never learned about the strange world Mom was living in.
Now, for the first time in years, it feels like we’re finally heading in the right direction.
Dad’s memory will always be with us, but it’s more of a source of strength rather than pain.
Source: amomama
