The Last Mother's Day

Mother's Day had always been a special day for Micahel and his Mother, Ruth. It was usually bright and sunny and full of love. This particular mother's day wasn't the best of days. The rain was unpleasant, with heavy downpours of and on. Michael had woken up early because he wanted to go and pick some flowers from the cherry tree. His mother loved the flowers, even though he always messed the floor when he brought them into the house.

Michael was a 12-year-old Picasso in the eyes of his mother. See, the problem was that Michael's mom was in the hospital this Mother's Day. She had been fighting this horrid disease that was getting the best of her. He knew all she needed was this Mother's Day card and a kiss from her firstborn. Michael's love always made her feel better.

She had been sick in and out of the hospital for quite some time. Michael knew she would get better because he prayed to God every day that she would. Only this time, it wasn't looking so promising. It had seemed that God had gone out to lunch or something. No answer, no signs of hope, or that God was even listening. Michael didn't get discouraged. He still was determined to make this card the way she always liked it. Cherry blossom flowers glued to the front of the card with a handwritten poem inside.

When he went outside to gather the flowers, he realized that the rain had made them impossible to glue to the card. He brought in a batch of them to dry them, and as they dried, they began to look brown and wilted. These are not the best flowers to put on his card. His mother loved the fresher flowers, which looked lively and well. Annoyed with the flowers, Michael decided to draw another of his mother's favorite flowers, a Rose.

The card had come together nicely. Michael knew that when his mother saw this, she would be happy. She might feel better and come home from the hospital. She had been in the hospital for weeks, and enough was enough. Michael needed his mom home with him.

Excited with the card results, Michael had gotten dressed and waited for his stepfather to come and take him to see his mother. After hours of waiting, the sun began to set, and Michael grew impatient. This card had to get to his mother because this was the only thing that would heal her.

Finally, a car pulled into the driveway. It was his stepfather's car. Only it wasn't his stepfather driving it. It was Louie, his stepfather's best friend. Michael got in the car excited to see his mom, and then Louie drove past the hospital! He didn't stop! Confused, Michael just sat quietly in the backseat while Louie went home. Once the car began to pull into the driveway, Michael jumped out and ran into the house before the car could come to a complete stop.

Angry, he asked why he didn't his stepfather come for him. Why didn't he pick him up so that he could see his mom? Teary-eyed, his stepfather had told Michael that his mother had died earlier that day. Michael had gone to his room to cry and didn't want to believe what he had just heard. He sat in his room on the bed and stared at his mother's picture he had hanging on his wall. She had worn her favorite vintage costume clothes in the photo. It was both Michael and his mother's favorite picture. When the picture fell off the wall with no windblown, no one knocked it down. It was the moment when Michael knew his mother was saying goodbye.