CHAPTER 3
THE ULTIMATE ORGANIZER
I learned and inherited many organizational skills from my mother. I have yet to meet anyone more efficient or organized than her. The following story illustrates the ultimate in organization and planning.
In September 1988, I bought a ticket from Connecticut to Florida for a 10 day visit in February, 1989. I had not been to my parents’ winter home for several years. Our son, David, would customarily fly to Florida during February school vacation to golf and celebrate his birthday- so I was going along with him this time. I was the tax collector at the time and my busy season ended in February second so it was a perfect time to vacation.
My parents often had “Yankee company” in Florida; their friends (the Petersons) departed Saturday, February fourth. That same evening was a church social pot luck supper which my parents attended with local friends, the Griffins. My mother was to be a church usher the next morning and was in conversation with gentlemen about that when she suddenly felt unwell and died immediately of a massive heart attack. What a way to go –in the midst of a hundred friends at a church supper. Such a wonderful plan for a lady, who never wanted hospitalization, had little tolerance for poor health, had absolutely no intention of living as an invalid and felt that living with her children would burden them.
The really incredible parts unfolded in the next few days as we realized many things:
- For the first time ever, all four siblings and their families were living on the East Coast, so travel to Connecticut for Mom’s funeral was relatively simple.
- After the funeral in Connecticut, Dad’s last minute airline ticket back to Florida placed him on the same airplane that David and I had already purchased tickets for five months earlier.
- My 10 days in Florida was perfect timing. I was present for a memorial service, helped Dad make adjustments and decisions, worked on his files and provided some tender loving care.
I can’t imagine a more organized way to enter God’s Kingdom of eternal life.
And I believe the ANGELS had a lot to do with this entry.
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