Nora

What a tribute it would be if I could 'order-up' a Marine to blow Taps in her honor when she is gone. She had four brothers, three in the Marine Corps during World War II, and one in the Merchant Marines. Nora is a complex lady, full of vim and vigor with a strong mind and had no problem airing her views. She was years ahead of herself with this 'one world government' and we thought she was a raving lunatic. She tried to tell us what was going on around us and politics was not my first option while raising my five children. I had other things to think about and listened to her ravings but did not assimilate the information she was trying to warn us about. Nora was a woman of charm and grace although she would rather not admit to such attributes. Her famous tongue could slice you to pieces and she was a 'free' woman way before her time. She dabbled a bit in painting, loved to travel and was bored with the mundane. She married and had one son whom she doted on. Her family was important to her and she made sure she telephoned around to make sure each and everyone of them was alive and well. None of us lived up to her expectations but she put up with us in spite of our short comings that she dwelled on. She didn't see herself as we saw her, this tall, thin, pretty face woman with brown eyes that could spark and sparkle. We accepted her 'as is' and loved her in spite of herself. She was a loyal wife who stood by her husband dying of lung cancer and fiercely nursed him until the day he died. Within a few short years she was on the road to Alzheimer disease and went into assisted living. She hated being confined. She hated losing her self and it was a sad and lonely existence into nothingness. Now she lies near death and I, for one, cannot be unhappy for her as she will finally be a 'star' shining brightly in the heavens and if I know Nora she will bounce a lightening bolt every now and then if she sees any one of us out of line. I wish her a quick demise as the lingering will be over and she will find the peace she has been seeking for so long. I have already missed her, but now she will become part of the whole and I will be able to light a candle for her soul and go out on a summer's night and know she is shining as bright as she can for all of us to enjoy.