Remembering... Deena

On her anniversary today...

Remembering Deena...

My mother-in-law, New Yorker

Beautiful, classy, elegant

Passionate about life and music

Remembering Deena...

She adored me! I don't know why but she did

I would have been content just being loved or liked

I don't know what I did to deserve it

When my side of the family met her for the first time

They whispered to me, "She adores you!"

She just did!

Remembering Deena...

And our Saturday mornings at Starbucks with Norman

She'd pick us up early morning from her night work on weekends

Have our coffees and hot chocolate and muffins and scones

With soft guitar music on the background

Remembering Deena...

Flamboyant with her looks from head to toe

The way she dressed, her make-up on all the time

"Always ready either for a talent scout or a mortician!"

Remembering Deena...

Her sense of humor, her laughter, infectious

Her keen sense of appreciation for music

And a deep understanding of it, quite impressive

As she proudly talks of her 2 musician sons,

"They got their talent from me", she'd teased them.

Remembering Deena...

I've never seen nurses loved a patient so much

The nurses even kissed her

I had never seen that before,

The nurses simply adored her!

Deena lifted their spirits up

When they were all exhausted from the day's and night's work

Going from one room to another to answer to other patients' calls and complaints

Deena just never complained, her smile inspired them...

When she was brought back to the ICU from the rehab

And the nurses who took care of her before learned about it,

They took time to visit her and later prepared a room back on their floor ready for her.

At both centers, she was loved, well taken care of until her last breath...

Remembering Deena...

So much to say, yet never enough

Thanks for everything, Mom,

You were an inspiration to so many of us

Coming in full circle, you were adored and loved!

(Copyright 2009 Socorro de Castro)