Personal Story- My mother
$40 a month…..
Less than $2 a day and my mother God rest her soul, would have been properly buried with dignity. And we were a few days away….
WHO my mother was?
My mother Frances Wilson. For those who know my mom, wow what a woman! She was the kindest soul, and if you were cross, you would hear about it, in more ways than one.
She was a great mother and an excellent leader.
A belting alto with no formal training, her voice reminded some of the famous R&B singer Etta James. I wouldn't put it past you that some people went to our church just for her!
A hustler.
My father a businessman who painted houses, got sick and could no longer work. So my mom took up the slack, in between working at a telemarketing company, sold arts and crafts halfway across town on the weekends. She also took work at a restaurant. That was a boring weekend for a 12 year old but shout out to Keith Bazaar. I look back now and smile at those moments.
The day it happened
My mother had been really sick for a few years before that fateful day, unbeknownst to me. We as a family should have prepared however, we were all living paycheck to paycheck, putting off the inevitable. Well the inevitable did happen, 3 days prior to Christmas in 2008. She had just survived a scare on the dialysis machine the weekend prior. From our last conversation, I chatted with her, “I told her she had nine lives.” She laughed. I think we talked maybe 10 minutes, she told me, “not to worry and take care of my family. I’m fine Junior.” I was told by others later, that she was on the phone all Friday night leading into Saturday morning with other family and friends, which was unusual for her. She was in pain, I know it, and she was saying her final goodbyes.
Our guardian angel
After my family, at the time flew 1170 miles with yes, poor planning on my part; a few paychecks saved, we were shocked when we touched down. There were funeral expenses, the burial, and unpaid bills. For about 3 days, my family and I talked to everyone we could think of, from her previous employer, neighbors, friend of a friend, we scrambled together $200, well short of the goal. A church family member approached my older sister and I while we were at the church making final preparations, on what we thought would be a rush funeral. “I loved how your mother sung!, she told us. “She was so beautiful and you kids turned out so well”. She then pulled out her checkbook and asked, “how much do ya’ll need? Take as long as you need to pay me back.” Praise God indeed! She came to our rescue and she was our guardian angel! We didn’t get a chance to truly thank her. One month later she passed away….
$40. $40 dollars a month would have prevented this. Going hand over hand, practically begging. Thank you to our guardian angel, our church, family and friends and everyone who knew my mother. She was a kind soul indeed and she is singing right now. :)
Lets get you squared away! Click the link below for a free consultation!
