Together Again

This afternoon at work we learned that one of our patients' mother passed away on Tuesday.

I saw this mother in our office with her 7 1/2 year old daughter on Monday afternoon.  

They were a sweet family.  So very sweet. 

Laughing.

Smiling.

Playing.

Giggling.

Learning the ins and outs of the appliance we were cementing.

Enjoying one another.

Loving one another.

The little girl was a great patient.  Her mom was so sweet and totally vested in what was going on with her daughter.   I listened from the other room where I was working on another patient as they laughed and giggled with one another and the staff working with them.

As I walked out to go to my next patient I had to walk by them.  I smiled and said hi and praised the sweet little girl for doing so well.

They checked out and left, ready to do their 'dental homework.'

Her mama was dead 24 hours later.

Sweet Jesus, please be with this little girl and her daddy tonight, tomorrow and for always.

Her mommy had a heart attack and died the very next day.

Dear Lord this poor little girl doesn't have her mommy anymore.

When they went home that night and did homework, told the little  girl's daddy about her new dental appliance, read stories, got tucked into bed, they could not have known that this beautiful (and she was so beautiful) 54 year old woman would not be there the following night.

God please please please bring this family some peace.

I was almost in tears the rest of the afternoon.

You see all I could think about is how heartbroken that baby girl is.  How her mother is not with her tonight or tomorrow night or the night after that and after that and after that.  

And oh my gosh if I left Tate like that.

There one minute.

Gone the next.

I think, no I know that's my biggest fear.

That I'm going to die too soon and leave my sweet Tate.

The anguish I would feel not being here with him seems like it would be almost too much to bear.

And though I know God would be right there with me watching my Tate, I can't imagine how it would be ok for me.  And oh my, for Tate.

I have changes, many changes to make in my life.  I'm not leaving my sweet boy anytime soon.  

Changes...They're a-comin'.

But right now, in this moment of grief I feel for this little girl, her family and her mother I need this poem.  I need to know they will be together again.  That one day we will all be together again.

My Angel, My Muse

© Christy Hughes

Deep in the night when you lie in your bed
wondering at shadows up over your head
and you pull those soft white sheets to your eyes
do you whisper to God and ask Him why?

Why is she gone and why did she go?
you want to know and you want Him to show
you a reason. So pray as fast as you can.
But unanswered prayers are a part of the Plan.

But when you ask why and your eyes start to cry
and you feel so sad that you think you might die,
listen. Because He will tell you. And cherubs' wings
hug and hold you snug as they sing

a song so sweet like sirens of lore
as you slip into dreams of what was before.

And then you will see her far away in her bed
where she has the covers pulled up over her head
and she's asking God why as her eyes fill with tears
and she shakes with the fears that nobody hears her 
when she asks why and her eyes start to cry
and she feels so lonely she thinks she might die,
she listens. And He tells her. And angels' wings
hug and hold her snug as they sing

a song so sweet like sirens of lore
as she slips into dreams of what was before.

And she sees the little girl far away in her bed
with the covers pulled up around her head
and she smiles through the pain
when He answers 'you will be together again.'