Man Plans, God Laughs

After spending time watching the birds, mom and I decided to go back upstairs.  The priest was coming at 12:30 and the time was already 12:15PM.

 

Mom and I went to her room so I could organize her clothes, check to make sure she had all her own pillows, and check that she had the right size undergarments in her closet.  I intentionally stayed there so when the priest would arrive we could have some privacy. 

While we were in her room, Mom said, “Yesterday family came to see me.”

“I heard Aunt Jay, Donna and Lynnette visited you.”

“I thanked Donna for helping Jamie get an interview.”

“Very nice, mom, I’m sure she appreciated your thanking her.”

“We had a nice time.  I told them ‘It was our last visit’.

“Mom, that’s your decision.”

Shortly thereafter, Dana* and Father Don walked into her room.  I had previously been anxious about what the priest would wear that might bring attention to him and to the reason he was there making mom feel uncomfortable.  To my delight, he was dressed casual.  So casual that no one would have been the wiser. 

Father Don extended his hands to mom, “I’m Father Don from St. Thomas the Apostle.  You must be Gilda.”

Mom quickly pulled her hands away, “Your hands are cold.”

“Sorry, Gilda, my hands are cold.  I just came from outside.”

“Mom, tell Father Don what you told me when you saw me this morning.”

Mom said as a matter of fact, “I said ‘Let’s get the show on.’   I thought I was supposed to die already.”

Now Father Don looked deep into mom’s eyes, “Gilda, maybe God has other things for you to do here.  He might want you to talk to someone or brighten someone’s day.”

“Well, I’m ready”.

“Maybe God’s not ready for you.  Sometimes God laughs when people plan their future and feel they are in control.  Life does not work that way.  God is in control.  When He is ready for you, Gilda, He will come to get you.”

Mom looked at me, “God’s going to come and get me.”  I knew she was looking at me because I had told her that Dad’s mom had come to get him.

Father Don said, “Gilda don’t worry. Remember God is in control. 

Mom shook her head like she understood, “Good, what should I do?”

“Do me a favor; enjoy every day that you have until He comes.”

“Ok.”

“Gilda, what is your last name?”

“Mascitti”

Father Don chuckled and said, “A good Polish name.” 

Mom laughed.

“Mom, tell Father Don dad’s name?” 

“Guido”

“That says it all, you’re Italian,” Father Don grinned.  “I bet you were a good cook!”

“Pretty good,” mom said.

“Mom was a great cook.  She made a lot of great dishes:  Italian roasted chicken, homemade pizza and pizza frete.”

“What’s pizza frete?”

“You might know pizza frete better as Elephant Ears when you see them at an outdoor event.  Mom made them out of left over dough.  Hers were much smaller and she sprinkled sugar on them.”

“Were you a good baker, too, Gilda?”

“Julienne, you tell him; you remember better than me.”

“Mom made the best pineapple upside down cake. It was gorgeous and delicious.  Right mom?”

 

Mom shrugged her shoulders.

“Mom, one of my favorites was your banana nut cupcakes?”

“Gilda, did you have your own special spaghetti gravy recipe?  I know the Italians call it ‘gravy’.  Am I right?”

Mom smiled, “Yes, gravy.  I made homemade bread, too.”

“My favorite meal was when you made spaghetti gravy and homemade bread on the same day. I would just eat bread and gravy for dinner.  I can’t believe I am getting hungry; mom and I just had lunch together.”

Looking down at the Portillo’s napkin mom was holding Father Don said, “Did you have sausage or a beef sandwich, Gilda?”

“I love sausage; my son buys Italian sausage and cooks it just the way I like it.  He burns it.”

“I like sausage cooked well, too.  But I wanted to know what you ate for lunch today?”

“Oh, we split a beef sandwich.”

“Did your beef sandwich taste good?”

“Yes”

“Gilda, I came to visit you today because your family contacted me to request that you receive a blessing called ‘the anointing of the sick’.  May I give you that blessing?” 

“Yes, definitely”

Being raised a Catholic; this sacrament was also called the Sacrament of Extreme Unction instituted by Christ. According to the teaching of great theologians, the holy anointing was provided for the sick to strengthen them and prepare them for a happy passage.

Father Don started to pray the ‘Our Father’ out loud; mom and I both joined him.  At the end mom raised her voice slightly as she said ‘Amen”.  Then Father Don opened up his Bible and read this passage:

"Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."  James 5:14-15

 

 

At the end of the prayer, Father Don poured some oil on his hands and made the sign of the Cross on mom’s forehead.  He then asked to have her turn her palms up; when she did he made the sign of the cross in the center of each hand. 

When he finished he said, “Now, Gilda, you are ready.  You have His blessing upon you.  God is within you.  You will go in peace.”

Mom now still holding Father Don’s hands said with all sincerity, “Thank you, thank you so much!”

“Gilda, enjoy your days.  God will come when He is ready.”  On that note, Father Don left. 

I wheeled mom down the hallway back to her favorite lounge chair.  Dana* walked with us.

“Mom, I had a beautiful day today.”

Mom shook her head agreeing, “Me, too.” 

“Being blessed by Father Don was really special.”

“Yes, thank you for bringing him here.”

“Mom, you are doing so well today.  You look great.”  With that I took another photo of mom.

 

“Look at your photo, you look beautiful mom.  Remember, Jeanne* said she would hold your hair appointment for you.   So let’s see how you are feeling that day.  If you feel as good as you do today I will take you if not I will call her and cancel.  It will be your decision.”

Mom and I hugged and kissed.  She said, “Thank you so very much for everything.  I love you.”  I stood up to leave and blew kisses to mom, I knew she was content and peaceful now because she smiled and blew kisses back at me a far cry from her attitude when I arrived. 

As I walked past the nurses’ station, Dana* said, “That’s all we can do.”

“I thank you for making this day happen for mom.”

Before walking outside, I stopped at the reception desk where I spoke with Rosey* who always makes time to talk with me.  “How’s mom?”

“Rosey*, you wouldn’t believe it.  Mom was very happy to pray with Father Don.  She is doing great today. “

“Your mom must have nine lives.”

“Mom already used her nine lives; now she’s borrowing someone else’s.”  We both laughed.

As I left to walk out the door, I realized quickly with all that was going on upstairs in mom’s room that I had forgotten my coat in her room.  “Rosey*, I can’t go out without my coat it is 30 degrees outside.  I must have left my coat in mom’s room.”

When I turned into mom’s room, I was alarmed.  Mom was now lying on her bed with her eyes closed with an oxygen mask covering her face.  I left her less than ten minutes ago.  What happened?  I went and sat by her bedside; I placed my hands on mom’s hands.  She opened her eyes and smiled right through her oxygen mask.  “Mom, why do you have an oxygen mask on?”

Mom reassuringly said, “They put this on three times a day for ten minutes.  I am just resting, Julienne.  I love you.”   Funny thing mom was reassuring me.

As I went to hug and kiss her again, mom tried to take the oxygen mask off.  “Mom it’s OK; leave the oxygen on. We already kissed.  I love you very much.”

She said again, “I love you very much.”

What a site to see as I walked out of the room:  Mom lying in bed with her oxygen mask on blowing me kisses.