" ... THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE"

He came to visit my mother in the hospital not long after she was transferred from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to Iredell Memorial Hospital. He has always considered her his “second mother.” The evening of his visit wasn’t a good one for Mom. She slept throughout his visit. He finally walked over to her bed and whispered, “I love you.” She slurred, “I love you, too. I always have.” He left before she finished what she had to say to him.  Just after "I always have" came the words, “I always will.”

He came back to visit a week later. Mom was sitting in a recliner and being fed a little something akin to ice cream. She was given a thickened cranberry juice and, at her request, a thickened Dr. Pepper. She talked to him and listened as he told her about his upcoming trip to the Holy Land. She pointed at him and said, “Safe travels. I will pray.” And again, he told her that he loved her … and she said, “I love you, too.”

Sunday, as she listened to the live-stream of Broad Street UMC’s worship service, she sang the “Gloria Patri” and “Jesus Loves Me” when she heard to congregation sing. Her eyes were closed, but she sang her love and praise. “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.”

Last night, my brother called me from Mom’s hospital room so that I could say “Good Night” to her and give her a phone kiss. Steve told me of how Mom had said earlier in the day, “Let’s pray for Jimmy.” So, Steve and Mom prayed for safe travels to the Holy Land and a good trip for the one who calls Mom his “second mother.”

And as she grew weary during my phone call, I said, “Let me give you a phone kiss, Mom. HMMMMMMWAH.” I heard a soft “’HMMMMMMMWAH” coming from her.

In the midst of all that Mom is going through following her massive stroke on Dec. 4th, she continues to example to me that “the greatest of these is love.”