That Mother Lode

"Life is queer with its twists and turns..." In the year that Mother Watson died, I experienced an existential crisis. She was one of my favorite relatives, my mom's oldest sister, my cheerleader, and my role model.  In the final months of her life, she was surrounded by family caregivers. I even traveled to Dallas to stay with her so her granddaughter (primary caregiver) could get some rest. Her death made me sad. However, I accepted that it was her time and I released her on her journey to eternity. After her death, I was overwhelmed by the display of genuine love and care from the people who knew her. She made her mark. It led me to question who would be there for me at the end of my life. Who would take care of me if I couldn't care for myself? I was single with no kids at the time. I told my mom about my fear of having no one there, and she said, without hesitation, "I'll take care of you." I said, "I'm going to live a long time, and you wo...