Becky Ellisor

I have a friend, he’s a mourning dove. He comes to visit me every day. We communicate by moving our heads. He’s the leader of our talks and also the leader of his flock of 36 doves. He stays befuddled by my copying his head movements. He hasn’t figured out yet that he could follow mine. Maybe his being the leader of his flock won’t let him lose his leadership powers. He always sits alone on his high wire in the sky. Sometimes his flock sits on either side of him but twenty five or so feet away. Sometimes they sit all in a row on the long wire and he sits on the short one leading to my house. I’ve seen him sit in my hackberry tree with some doves above and some below and the rest on the high wire. I’ve seen him with just a few other birds and I have seen him alone. I always know it’s him because he will move his head to watch me follow. He makes me smile and leave my worries behind.

One of the worst months I’ve had in a long , long time…  Mary, my mother in law, died on the third of the month, early in the morning. I have never seen anyone so ready for passing over. I didn’t think she was able to move any longer when I asked her forgiveness for not being the perfect caregiver. She managed to to hold out her hand and take mine. She smiled and tried to talk but couldn’t. She was happy and I knew she forgave me.

Everyone should spend some time with a dying person. Nothing teaches compassion as well or gives one such peace about their own death. It was the third time I have been with a loved one when they died. I would not trade the experience for anything. That doesn’t mean I would not want to see them alive again, it just means there is some peace and joy in being with them when they go.

The rest of the month went downhill from there. My dog was run over on New Year’s Day and died instantly. Everything that happened in between was hard and difficult to get my head wrapped around. No need to pass it all on to you, except that a cousin of mine,  Bill Yeager passed away, also. I will miss his presence at family get togethers.

My time is my own now and I look forward to continuing the fight to make life better for all of us. That is why we are here, in case you never thought about it.