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"Kathleen"
by
Johanna Albee
To fit the essence of Kathleen into such a small area is impossible. I humbly
attempt to convey to you a glimpse into who she was.
I remember clearly my first meeting with Kathy (as she was called for short). I
had been driving for several days with my husband Richard. We were in the
process of moving from Arizona to Illinois. We were going to stay with Kathy, my
husband's mom, for a while until we got settled. During the course of the drive
to Illinois I became extremely ill (I later found out that it was pleurisy). It
was snowing heavily as we entered Rockford, Illinois. I was feeling weaker by
the moment, and by the time we arrived in front of Kathy's house, Richard had to
carry me into the house. I remember him laying me in his moms bed. I was
snuggled up in her bed when I heard her soft, motherly voice. I slowly opened my
eyes and saw her, those warm brown eyes, she looked just like an angel to me.
We quickly became best friends. She took on the surrogate mother role to me.
Even after my divorce from her son we remained very close. I never felt alone in
Illinois away from all of my family and friends when she was around. Her sharp
wit, fiery passion, wicked sense of humor, and bold, brassy personality were
mesmerizing to me. I adored everything about her. She was incredibly fun, her
zest for life intoxicated everyone who was in her presence. She was always
dancing and singing around her house and she turned the summer days into an
endless party of BBQ's. When I needed strength she was there to give it to me in
heavy doses. When I finally had the courage to accept that I was gay, she was
the first person I confided in.
My son Ricky developed the same tight bond with Kathy from the moment he was
born. What a fun Grandma she was. She drew a little miniature city on some art
paper for him to drive his cars on. Her endless creative ways to entertain him
dazzled him and me as well. She made Christmas magical for everyone that was
around her.
Then came the day that Kathy was diagnosed with lung cancer. I watched beautiful
Kathy disappear into a body that was dying around her. For two years she fought
the cancer that was consuming her. She kept her wicked sense of humor through
her entire battle with the cancer.
In her final days I became very ill. I was weak with grief, but I forced myself
to go to work, it was there I received the heartbreaking phone call that she had
passed on. Not able to keep myself composed, I went home and collapsed in tears
on my couch. As I was crying I felt this intense warmth surrounding me, I knew
it was Kathy, I could feel her harder then I had ever felt her during her
lifetime here. I felt like she was inside of me. I heard her voice whispering
the words "Honey, you are very sick, you have pneumonia, you need to see a
Doctor". There she was being a mom to me still, even after her passing. It was
confirmed the next day at the Doctor's office that I did indeed have pneumonia.
When I first saw Kathy she looked like an angel to me, I know now she is.
Beautiful Kathleen you will never be forgotten.
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