It was a year ago today, February 10, 2020 that my mother passed away.  

Cancer.

I’ve written about her many times over the last 40 plus years. Remember? She tackled a police car once. I’ve written about that a few times. I also feel like every time I turn around there’s a remembrance of some sort and stirs me to write, but Mom asked me long ago to not do that after she was gone. Not sure why, but that’s what she wanted.

This is the last one.

We recently lost a pet and I remember when she lost one of her dogs how painful it was for her. I remembered that when we lost Verne a few weeks ago and tried to handle it as she would. She loved her dogs.

We knew mom was really sinking fast last year when she didn’t mention her dog Bentley when we had to have her admitted to the hospital. Bentley was so much a part of her life that we knew if she hadn’t been worried about him, she was worried about something else.

Mother had her moments while spending her last few days in the hospital. She would cuss and let everyone know she wasn’t happy with certain things, but there was the same fight and determination that I had seen my entire life.

She endured an abusive relationship as a very young mom, but really seemed to come out the other side later in her life. She battled not only her cancer but she also battled alcoholism as well. Mom conquered one of the two.

Mom and I were close in age, I know I have mentioned that before in my writings and it was amazing some of the conversations’ we had that I think not many sons and moms get to have. She had all four of us kids before she turned 21. How she did it was something I can look back at now and be amazed.

We waited months before spreading her ashes. She would not have liked this past year with the shut downs and virus and for that I’m grateful.

She was a tiny woman. I towered over her at less than 5’5” myself. She was a good athlete, very smart and without any prejudice, she also was a very attractive woman. 

She was also very smart of wit and could laugh with anyone. I believe she passed her sense of humor down to us kids, well, at least three of us. You know I’m talking about you Lynn. See, a sense of humor.

In mom’s last years’ we found it hard for all of us to get together on a regular basis, because we were scattered across the country but, the times we did always brought laughter and a lot of fun. Mom seemed to have put some of her more turbulent times behind her, but she could also bring back some of the fire which helped her through those tough times as well.

She certainly didn’t mind sharing some choice words for some of the people in her life, but she also could smile and remember the good times as well.

Mom always seemed to migrate to wherever we lived and actually worked with me at the Daily Breeze in Cape Coral for many years. She was excellent with everything she did and she worked very hard to help support us as kids. That was a tough thing for a single woman in the 70’s and 80’s, but she found a way.

When I accepted the publisher’s role here last February it was only a few weeks after she passed. I remember reaching for the phone to call her and let her know. I knew she would have been proud. 

I’ll always miss you mom, but this is the last one

If you see me, say “Hey!”

Dee McLelland is the Publisher of the Coastal Courier and Bryan County News.