A Final Good-bye
This weekend, we head to my parents' Toledo Bend home. It was the last place they lived and it was the place where Mama died. Until one month ago, it was filled with their remaining belongings, which means many memories. Mama is buried in Oklahoma, so I don't get to visit her grave very often. The house on the lake is the place I go to feel closer to her. Each time we pull into the driveway, I remember how she would have all the lamps on, with the blinds open. The house just looked so warm and inviting, especially after the three-hour drive, usually after a day of work, on a Friday evening. When we first arrived, she always had a home-cooked meal, which usually ended with a homemade pie. Joey once mentioned he liked pie and after that Mama always made sure she baked at least one when we visited. Then, sadness overcomes me for a moment, as I think of how much she would have enjo...