My First Motherless Mother’s Day [VIDEO]
I'm not gonna lie. I'm still not over it. For those of you who don't know, I lost my Mother to the vicious Alzheimer's Disease almost 2 months ago. There is a pit in my stomach that I can feel at all times. There are things that I wish I could still tell her, and so many wonderful babies that she doesn't know.
My Momma was a godly woman, born in St. Petersburg, Florida to a Navy man. She spend some time traveling with her family until they settled in Fairburn, Georgia. That was where she met and fell in love with her own Military man, by Dad, Bobby Benefield. They were married over 40 years when we lost Daddy to Cancer. Mom never remarried, instead she busied herself with things that she loved, her family, kids & grand kids, her church, and her home.
Mom's house was home base for all of us kids. It was where we gathered on Christmas morning, and Thanksgiving and for cookouts in the summer. I can only speak for myself, but I felt drawn there, because, that's where love lived. When we first noticed Mom's forgetfulness, we attributed it to old age at first, but the day she called me and said, "I don't know where I am." We knew it was more. My brothers and sisters and I took turns staying with her evenings and weekends so she wouldn't be alone during waking hours until we took the final step of assisted living in a memory care unit.
I have the most wonderful memories of my Mother, both when I was a little girl, and later when she was one of my very best friends. I couldn't go a day without talking to her, and even when she no longer knew me, I knew her, and remembered all of the memories for her. She was still my Mom.
Everyday at 10am, I was blessed to spend some time with my sweet Momma. Some days were good, and I'd return to work upbeat, because today she told me 'I love you back'. Other days, I'd just shake my head when I walked in and my coworkers knew it wasn't a good day for Mom. I still look at the clock everyday at 10am and think, "I need to go see Mom', then just as quickly remember that she is in a new home now. One that God sent the angels to prepare for her. I'm not gonna lie, I miss her so much, and I'm still not over it.
My coworkers and I will be walking as Team GiGi this August to help raise money for Alzheimer's Research. My goal is to help find a cure for this disease that robbed me of my Mom and my kids their GiGi. If you'd like to help our team, please visit my page and donate!