Prayer Card
Monday, May 26, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Eulogy
Eulogy for Lorraine Scott.
By Karla Scott
My fondest memories of my Mom, are of how safe I felt with her. I remember on one of those coldest days of the year, when I was a little girl.
I came inside and she gave me a hug. She sat me down on her lap,
she removed my boots and my socks and she began to rub my toes one by one, and
carefully to blow her breath on them one by one,
until she warned them up.
That's the kind of person she was: she rubbed her tender loving care into everyone she met, everything she did, and everything she said. And she did it with gusto!
During the past few days I've heard so many wonderful stories about her from her closest friends. They've told me about their travels together home how she loved to dance, how she loved to eat, how she love to shop, how she'd love to party, how she loved to decorate, and she was always at the center of attention.
What really strikes me is how many people tell me she helped them.
Giving rides, money, sharing possessions, buying tickets, serving on committees (more than 20 social and civic) , praying for and with them.
Here is an excerpt from letter from a dear friend From Barbara Carey in Calif: (known since 1940s)
Dear Karla: We all will remember Lorraine as a person who cared about people, gave her time, gave of what she worked for hard earned cash, gave people so much and I am one of them.
Another friend wrote:
She was always helping others, was generous, and always the best dressed in the room.
My Mom certainly knew how to light up a room with her smile, her laugh, and her joy of living.
She's had lifelong friends such as Estelle Buser (from 1920s) and Ernestine Connors, Clemetine Smith, and Bobbie Anthony-Perez (1940s)and newer friends such as Cathy Adams, Juanita Blakey
____________________________________________
Her Finest Roles were as Mother and Wife:
She did her best to provide a good life for my sister, Stephanie and I She succeeded. We had everything we needed and everything we wanted from Catholic schools, to piano and dance lessons, to. Girl Scouting in 4-H clubs, to summer camp, trips to Europe in high school, to junior year living in France, to attendance at great colleges and universities.
Importantly, She wanted us to have a better life than she had-- you know, the American dream.
Like most of her peers, she had humble beginnings.
She grew up in the deep South, you know, at a time where lynching was a daily activity, jobs were scarce as the Boll weevil destroyed the cotton crop, and Jim Crow reigned with its heavy hand
Despite all this, she had aspirations for a better life. She heard the call of greater opportunity, up north and seized the moment to explore a better life in the great city of Chicago, a haven for Southerners especially those from Mississippi.
Through hard work, rigorous discipline, and prudent savings/investment strategies, she was able to live a comfortable middle-class life and to celebrate the joy of living.
She met her soulmate, my dad, William Scott, in 1943. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he chased her down, (literally jumping over a diner counter), until he caught her. He held on tightly and never let go…and the rest is history.
As you all know, he worshiped her, striving to ensure that all heard needs were met. Yes, she had her husband wrapped around her little finger: she succeeded in never having to iron, never having to cook, never having to unpack luggage, in never having to pump her own gas. He wanted her happy always.
________________________________________________________
Let me share with you her last moments
Our nighttime caregiver Vivian shared with me, her last stand:
After she tucked both my dad and my mom into bed that night, my dad kept asking my mom to talk with him. Vivian told my mom to look over at him and wave at him so he would be satisfied to know she was okay. She smiled at him. She waved to him. That was the last thing she did.
She passed peacefully in her sleep that night.
A good friend of mine, who is Jewish, described what that kind of passing means in the Jewish tradition. According to the Torah, when someone passes away peacefully while sleeping in her own bed is considered a blessing from God. She was spared the pain, she was spared the suffering, she was spared the anxiety of dying. She simply passed on in peace.
_________________________________________________________
Thank you all for your love and support and for being such dear friends to my Mom.
I know she brought light into your life, she brought light into my life, and into the life of my Dad .
She is in peace
God bless you all.
The End
By Karla Scott
My fondest memories of my Mom, are of how safe I felt with her. I remember on one of those coldest days of the year, when I was a little girl.
I came inside and she gave me a hug. She sat me down on her lap,
she removed my boots and my socks and she began to rub my toes one by one, and
carefully to blow her breath on them one by one,
until she warned them up.
That's the kind of person she was: she rubbed her tender loving care into everyone she met, everything she did, and everything she said. And she did it with gusto!
During the past few days I've heard so many wonderful stories about her from her closest friends. They've told me about their travels together home how she loved to dance, how she loved to eat, how she love to shop, how she'd love to party, how she loved to decorate, and she was always at the center of attention.
What really strikes me is how many people tell me she helped them.
Giving rides, money, sharing possessions, buying tickets, serving on committees (more than 20 social and civic) , praying for and with them.
Here is an excerpt from letter from a dear friend From Barbara Carey in Calif: (known since 1940s)
Dear Karla: We all will remember Lorraine as a person who cared about people, gave her time, gave of what she worked for hard earned cash, gave people so much and I am one of them.
Another friend wrote:
She was always helping others, was generous, and always the best dressed in the room.
My Mom certainly knew how to light up a room with her smile, her laugh, and her joy of living.
She's had lifelong friends such as Estelle Buser (from 1920s) and Ernestine Connors, Clemetine Smith, and Bobbie Anthony-Perez (1940s)and newer friends such as Cathy Adams, Juanita Blakey
____________________________________________
Her Finest Roles were as Mother and Wife:
She did her best to provide a good life for my sister, Stephanie and I She succeeded. We had everything we needed and everything we wanted from Catholic schools, to piano and dance lessons, to. Girl Scouting in 4-H clubs, to summer camp, trips to Europe in high school, to junior year living in France, to attendance at great colleges and universities.
Importantly, She wanted us to have a better life than she had-- you know, the American dream.
Like most of her peers, she had humble beginnings.
She grew up in the deep South, you know, at a time where lynching was a daily activity, jobs were scarce as the Boll weevil destroyed the cotton crop, and Jim Crow reigned with its heavy hand
Despite all this, she had aspirations for a better life. She heard the call of greater opportunity, up north and seized the moment to explore a better life in the great city of Chicago, a haven for Southerners especially those from Mississippi.
Through hard work, rigorous discipline, and prudent savings/investment strategies, she was able to live a comfortable middle-class life and to celebrate the joy of living.
She met her soulmate, my dad, William Scott, in 1943. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, he chased her down, (literally jumping over a diner counter), until he caught her. He held on tightly and never let go…and the rest is history.
As you all know, he worshiped her, striving to ensure that all heard needs were met. Yes, she had her husband wrapped around her little finger: she succeeded in never having to iron, never having to cook, never having to unpack luggage, in never having to pump her own gas. He wanted her happy always.
________________________________________________________
Let me share with you her last moments
Our nighttime caregiver Vivian shared with me, her last stand:
After she tucked both my dad and my mom into bed that night, my dad kept asking my mom to talk with him. Vivian told my mom to look over at him and wave at him so he would be satisfied to know she was okay. She smiled at him. She waved to him. That was the last thing she did.
She passed peacefully in her sleep that night.
A good friend of mine, who is Jewish, described what that kind of passing means in the Jewish tradition. According to the Torah, when someone passes away peacefully while sleeping in her own bed is considered a blessing from God. She was spared the pain, she was spared the suffering, she was spared the anxiety of dying. She simply passed on in peace.
_________________________________________________________
Thank you all for your love and support and for being such dear friends to my Mom.
I know she brought light into your life, she brought light into my life, and into the life of my Dad .
She is in peace
God bless you all.
The End
Letter to Postal Carrier
April 29, 2008
Dear Postal Carrier
My Mom passed away.
I will be out of town at least ten days.
Please hold my mail aside.
Thank You,
Karla Scott
H2510
_______________________________
May 19, 2008
Dear Postal Carrier
I am back in town. You can resume my mail delivery.
Thank You.
Thank You,
Karla Scott
H2510
Dear Postal Carrier
My Mom passed away.
I will be out of town at least ten days.
Please hold my mail aside.
Thank You,
Karla Scott
H2510
_______________________________
May 19, 2008
Dear Postal Carrier
I am back in town. You can resume my mail delivery.
Thank You.
Thank You,
Karla Scott
H2510
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Audacious Story
Blog Audacious Story
Throughout the process of grieving the loss of my mom, planning funeral events, and implementing funeral events, I experienced some surprising, some disturbing, and even some shocking moments.
Nothing shocks me more than the phone call I received yesterday.
The daughter of one of my mother's friends (a dear friend who passed away in the 1980s) called me six days after my mom's funeral.
She prefaced her remarks by stating she did not know if this was the right time to discuss “this”. She was hesitant.
She reminded me that her mom and my mom were old friends. She reminded me they were very close.
She repeated that she did not know if this was a good time to discuss such a matter.
Finally, she asserted, you know what I mean.
You know what I'm talking about right?!.
I replied,
no. I have had two weeks of little sleep, or little food, planning all five funeral events, receiving multiple cards and calls and letters and e-mails having multiple conversations---I am mentally and physically exhausted. No I don't know what you are talking about--you will have to be more direct with me about the purpose for your call.
She proceeded to inform me that my mom had told her that if ever she passed away, she wanted them to know that she left them in her will.
Shock and awe
I simply replied, that is not true
She continued, insisting my mom had made this promise to her and her family a long time ago.
I assured her, that is not true. I continued that I'm holding a copy of the will and that that is not true.
I informed her that for a year my dad had promised one of the cars to everyone who walked into the house. I hope she understood that people make promises, when they are elderly, that don't necessarily materialize.
Of note, I have not heard from her since my mom had passed and yet she felt it was appropriate to call me six days after my mom's funeral to stake her claim to a will
Shock and awe.
Another shocking and surprising event was that my mom's dearest friend (Juanita Blakey) fell and broke her hip as she was leaving to attend my mom's funeral. I had just spoken to her to find out if she needed us to give her a ride to the church. She is now in a nursing home, we have recovering from hip replacement surgery. She is almost 94 years old and had no physical problems prior to this. It is very sad!
Throughout the process of grieving the loss of my mom, planning funeral events, and implementing funeral events, I experienced some surprising, some disturbing, and even some shocking moments.
Nothing shocks me more than the phone call I received yesterday.
The daughter of one of my mother's friends (a dear friend who passed away in the 1980s) called me six days after my mom's funeral.
She prefaced her remarks by stating she did not know if this was the right time to discuss “this”. She was hesitant.
She reminded me that her mom and my mom were old friends. She reminded me they were very close.
She repeated that she did not know if this was a good time to discuss such a matter.
Finally, she asserted, you know what I mean.
You know what I'm talking about right?!.
I replied,
no. I have had two weeks of little sleep, or little food, planning all five funeral events, receiving multiple cards and calls and letters and e-mails having multiple conversations---I am mentally and physically exhausted. No I don't know what you are talking about--you will have to be more direct with me about the purpose for your call.
She proceeded to inform me that my mom had told her that if ever she passed away, she wanted them to know that she left them in her will.
Shock and awe
I simply replied, that is not true
She continued, insisting my mom had made this promise to her and her family a long time ago.
I assured her, that is not true. I continued that I'm holding a copy of the will and that that is not true.
I informed her that for a year my dad had promised one of the cars to everyone who walked into the house. I hope she understood that people make promises, when they are elderly, that don't necessarily materialize.
Of note, I have not heard from her since my mom had passed and yet she felt it was appropriate to call me six days after my mom's funeral to stake her claim to a will
Shock and awe.
Another shocking and surprising event was that my mom's dearest friend (Juanita Blakey) fell and broke her hip as she was leaving to attend my mom's funeral. I had just spoken to her to find out if she needed us to give her a ride to the church. She is now in a nursing home, we have recovering from hip replacement surgery. She is almost 94 years old and had no physical problems prior to this. It is very sad!
Losing My Voice
I am losing my voice from all the intense emotional conversations--all day long, on both phone lines, and with visitors for 13 days now.
The Hardest Mother's Day Ever
I could never have imagined I would be in Chicago for Mother's Day right after I buried my Mom. I decided to avoid people and places that would triggers memories of this sad reality-so, I stayed home with Daddy.
To make matters worse, this weekend also commemorates the 25th anniversary of my Sister's passing.
It can only get better with time.
To make matters worse, this weekend also commemorates the 25th anniversary of my Sister's passing.
It can only get better with time.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Aftermath
A whole other world exists for us now that Mom has left us.
Some issues I need to resolve are:
Fill in healthcare deficit since we lost Mom’s hours
Revised healthcare schedule for Dad
Find and train new caregiver
Contacting Social Security
Contacting Pension Fund
Revising Monthly budget with lower income
Name changes
Legal issues
Insurance issues
Thank You notes--115 total
Correspondence
Obtaining death certificates
Experiencing my Dad grieving my Mom, his partner of 64 years
Special requests from friends
Lots and lots of paperwork……………
All while the phone rings off the hook
It is overwhelming and I have been here 11 days and have more work to do
Some issues I need to resolve are:
Fill in healthcare deficit since we lost Mom’s hours
Revised healthcare schedule for Dad
Find and train new caregiver
Contacting Social Security
Contacting Pension Fund
Revising Monthly budget with lower income
Name changes
Legal issues
Insurance issues
Thank You notes--115 total
Correspondence
Obtaining death certificates
Experiencing my Dad grieving my Mom, his partner of 64 years
Special requests from friends
Lots and lots of paperwork……………
All while the phone rings off the hook
It is overwhelming and I have been here 11 days and have more work to do
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Mom's Funeral-8 hour day yesterday
I began the day by picking up two of Mom's elderly friends.
The limo picked us up at 935AM.
More than 100 people of all ages attended the services.
--Memorial Service at 10AM
--Catholic Funeral at 11AM
--Burial
--Repast 2:30.
There was a viewing at Raynor Funeral Home the night before. Mom looked graceful.
People said the services were lovely!
Mom went out in style.
http://www.obitservice.com/ Lorraine Scott
The limo picked us up at 935AM.
More than 100 people of all ages attended the services.
--Memorial Service at 10AM
--Catholic Funeral at 11AM
--Burial
--Repast 2:30.
There was a viewing at Raynor Funeral Home the night before. Mom looked graceful.
People said the services were lovely!
Mom went out in style.
http://www.obitservice.com/ Lorraine Scott
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)