On May 22, 2013, at 7:30 a.m. I tried calling my mom at her home in North Carolina, and she didn’t answer. I felt strange about it. Normally she would call me at 7:00 a.m. as we prayed every morning that time. I kept calling consistently every 15 to 30 minutes yet still no answer. I began to panic.
My mother retired in 2000 and decided to relocate from New York to North Carolina. I could remember thinking how was she going to leave from a place of familiarity to somewhere that was totally different. She left me in New York and moved to North Carolina all by herself. She had great neighbors and she met new friends along the way. She was active in her local senior center and was very independent. She drove her car, cooked, cleaned, gardened, went to church, and traveled. Although my mom had prior health issues, she managed them and was enjoying her life.