A retrospective on family and parents ? Big Bend Now

By Anastacio S. Mil?n

The father?s departing words to his grown children before he died were, ?take good care of your mother and don?t leave her alone.?? The days that followed before the final farewell were going to be very difficult times for the family.? When the oldest of the children arrived home, he shared his grief with his mother and his two brothers and sisters who had remained living in their hometown.

Francisco and Santos Milan

When the oldest brother embraced his mother providing comfort, she said, ?your father is not home; he left this morning and has not returned.?? The son knew that something was wrong; his mother?s mentality had been affected by his father?s death.? This added more to their grief as they remained silent with an understanding and hope that things would turn out well.

One would expect a mother with a devoted, faithful and loving relationship of close to sixty years with her companion would suffer complete breakdown upon losing him.? The mother?s frame of mind was that the head of the family had left for a short while and would eventually return.? Nevertheless, this did not bother her children; the oldest son thought, ?maybe this is a blessing, there is no extreme grief within his mother that will cause total, devastating heartbreak.?

And so, the days passed; the funeral and the father?s departure were a sad memory in his children?s mind and heart.? Their mother had to be cared for and the children knew that their father?s last request had to be fulfilled.? There was to be no question about that.? They were confronted with the task of providing all the care that their mother required.? She was not suffering from extreme illnesses or handicaps; it was to be companionship and ensuring proper attention and care.? That perpetual care was to be from waking up in the morning till the time of retiring at night every day of the week.

During the time that these devoted children took care of their mother, the need for more special care arose.? There were doctor?s appointments, medical treatments, medication, special diets and close monitoring.? The aging process was taking its toll.? The children still remained loving and committed to their mother as they had been from the beginning.

That entire episode and the end of that chapter reached its final point when their mother passed away.? Her children were overcome with sadness for losing their one and only.? However, there was brightness in that departure.? It was the fulfillment and the obedience of honoring their father?s last wish.? It should be understandable that this was not the only reason for such care; there is that endless love in

the heart that comes with the upbringing within a home and family where love, harmony and unity reign and is the dominant factor.? Hopefully, it will carry on with the remaining children from that special family.? For you see: their mother?s words were heard repeatedly;? and they still echo; ?see yourselves as brothers and sisters; help one another and don?t fight.?? Maybe those children will abide by one important from the list of Divine commandments.? Also, it has been one of their mother?s long lasting desires.

An Alpine native, Anastacio S. Mil?n is a retired public school educator, a sometimes contributor to The Big Bend Sentinel, and a columnist for the Zavala County Sentinel in Crystal City, his hometown. The death of his mother, Santos Salinas Mil?n, 83, of Alpine on August 13, and his father, Francisco Mil?n, in 2003, prompted this retrospective.

Source: http://bigbendnow.com/2012/08/a-retrospective-on-family-and-parents/

groundhog phil pee wee herman ketamine tracy morgan ground hogs day 2012 goundhog day punxsutawney