My 90 year old mother in law, whom I've blogged about from time to time in the almost ten year history of this blog, passed away a year ago today.
It was the day after the American Thanksgiving, the day we call "Black Friday". It's a major shopping day. We were up early.
Before we got the call, we had decided to treat ourselves to a "Black Friday" breakfast out, something we used to do a lot but stopped doing except for special occasions.
This is where we decided to go a year ago today.
The "Greek House" (which serves a lot more than Greek food) has been owned by an Egyptian everyone calls Sam for the past 26 years. It has been through two floods, the second of which closed it for a couple of months. Meantime, a large manufacturer across the street's building was ruined by that flood and had to move four miles or so down the road. But the Greek House survived.
One day last year, a sign appeared in their window.
It's hard to see above, but it reads "Thank You to our loyal customers who have kept us in business for 25 years, and thanks to our loyal staff. We couldn't have made it without you. Sam."
Now, when we have eaten here, the plates the food was served quickly, on were normal restaurant plates. In fact, my spouse and his brother ate breakfast there together several months ago, and nothing was unusual.
Not a year ago around 7:15 AM. In fact, the normally fast service wasn't there. We waited and waited.
When our food was served, each of our plates was decorated on the rim, in big bold script, with the word MOTHER.
In faint lettering, there were various traits of the ideal mother listed. Loving. Patient. Kind. Compassionate. And so forth.
MOTHER....
It was so strange that I almost took a picture of the plate and my food, but decided not to. Now I wish I had. Maybe you don't believe me but this is 100% true.
We finished our breakfast and went home.
And, not five minutes after entering our house, we got the phone call from the nursing home.
I'm still wondering, even a year later:
How did Sam know?
Your story freaked me out last year... it’s still a bit weird to hear it.
ReplyDeleteIt is something I still think about. Many things we don't understand in this world.
DeleteLet me tell you a story...some years ago (1992) we were visiting my fil in the hospital in Newburgh (we lived in Hudson). We were leaving and I turned around and said, "I'll see you in the morning, Love you." He goes, "Linda, no you won't. I'm going home soon." Never dawned on me what he meant. So, during the night I had gotten up to get something to drink and the phone was ringing and I turned around to answer it and I kid you not-my fil was standing there smoking his cigar and he goes, "You might want to get that, dear." Yep, it was the call he had passed. No kidding. My husband had walked in to get the phone and he goes, "You been smoking Swisher Sweets?"----- Apologies, I still get goose bumps and have a hard time telling this, I had to stop and rewrite this.
ReplyDeleteSo, back to your story, I firmly believe there are unanswered things in this universe, call it whatever you want...but I believe. I am so sorry for you loss and I know you still feel the pain that loss bought on that day.
There are many things we don't understand. I've learned that more and more as the years have passed. Thank you so much for sharing that most personal of stories with me.
DeleteThe Jewish belief is that there are no coincidences...
ReplyDeleteIt's weird how sometimes things just happen like that.
ReplyDelete