In the 51/2 short years that I've been priviledged enough to know Mom-mom Adelle (i missed meeting Pop-pop Chuck by about 6 months) I learned a lot from her about relationships and life. She had a lifetime of wonderul stories that she'd share with us whenever we would see her. Of course, towards the end the frequencey of the telling became more and more. Well, thank goodness for bad memories. Over and over we would hear the same stories, sometimes twice in a row, but I'm glad because now i know so many of Mom-mom's stories so I can pass them on. I loved the one about how she almost married someone else and then the ironic story of how she and Chuck later lived above her previous fiance and his wife some 40 years later. This story taught me selflessness and kindness. She told of how as her former fiance got more and more sick, and Chuck would visit him in the hospital and help out his wife at the house.
Another lesson learned from Mom-mom Adelle was that you are never too old to be fashionable. She would wear her sunglasses inside or outside, it didn't matter and I will never forget her Bling-ring with her initials in Diamonds. Of couse, a present from Chuck. Oh that Adelle...
Some of Mom-mom's ideas on life were a bit old fashioned for me, it's true, but some really hit home. Back in November Nick and I went to see her in the hospital. She was a little confused, so I decided to steer the conversation to something I knew she could talk about: Chuck. She said "Oh, that man loved me so much. He was so good to me. Not once in all the time we were married did he say No to me." I said "really not once?" She replied, "No, not once." So I asked curiously and a bit cheekily, "Mom-mom did you ever say no to Chuck?" She said, "All the time!". This was perhaps my favorite lesson learned from her.
One last story that always stuck out to me is the story of Chuck's last words. He had contracted Pneumonia in the hospital and they were going to run some tests. However, the doctors had said Chuck would be fine. Before they rolled him away, Mom-mom asked him "Do you know who I am?" His replywas, "Of course I do. Your my Dellie and we've been married for 48 years and I love you very much." The doctors took him away and not but a few moments later they came out and said that he had passed. I'm glad now that they can finally be reunited and their 6 years of waiting can be over. Thanks Mom-mom for all of your lessons of love. You will be missed, but never forgotten.
