SPIRIT LEAVING THE BODY

SITTING HERE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL SATURDAY AFTERNNON, THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING. MY MIND GOES BACK TO MY MOTHER PRECIOUS MOTHER ANNIE CLARA MCNEAL. JUST THINK HOE GOD KEEP GIVING US CHANCE AFTER CHANCE TO SERVE HIM. THERE WAS THIS ELDERLY LADY THAT WOULD GO TO JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY HOUSE TO INVITE THEM TO GOD, NOT JUST GO TO CHURCH AND BE IN THE MIDST. A FEW YEARS BEFORE MY MOTHER DIED THAT MOTHER HAD CAME BY THE HOUSE AND MY MOTHER TOLD HER TO KEEP PRAYING FOR HER AND THAT ONE DAY SHE WAS GOING WITH HER. THAT DAY CAME RIGHT BEFORE MY MOTHER STARTED TO GET ILL. MY MOTHER WAS A SMOKER AND WHEN THE PASTOR WOULD COME BY THE HOUSE TO PRAY WITH MY MOTHER SHE WOULD ALWAYS PUT OUT HER CIGARETTE BUT MY DAD WOULD SAY THIS IS MY HOUSE. BUT THE PASTOR KNEW MY DAD AND HE JUST DEALT WITH IT. MY MOTHER HAD HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH. I HAD OTHER SISTERS AND BROTHERS BUT SHE WANTED NONE OF THEM BUT ME TO TAKE CARE OF HER. SHE KNEW I LOVED TAKING CARE OF THE OLDER PEOPLE. I HAD BEEN DOING IT SINCE THE AGE OF ABOUT ELEVEN. BUT WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF MY MOTHERS LIFE I DID NOT THINK I COULD DEAL WITH SEEING HER SUFFER LIKE THAT. THEN THAT LAST WEEK CAME AND SHE DID NOT EVEN KNOW MY SISTA AND I WAS IN THE ROOM. IT WAS SO HEARTBREAKING TO SEE THAT. ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY WE WERE GOING TO SIT WITH HER AFTER WE GOT DONE COOKING OUR SUNDAY MEAL, BUT THE NURSE THAT WAS CARING FOR HER CALLED US AROUND ONE THIRTY AND SAID IF WE WANTED TO SEE OUR MOTHER AGAIN BEFORE SHE DIED THAT WE NEEDED TO GET THEIR ASAP. WE PUT THAT DINNER OFF AND FLED DOWN TO THE HOSPITAL. WE GOT THERE AND SHE STAYED WITH US UNTIL ABOUT SIX TEN IN THE EVENING. ONCE I GOT IN THE ROOM I DID NOT LEAVE HER SIDE UNTIL WE WENT HOME. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WAS SO AMAZING, I WAS HOLDING HER HAND THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE. I TALKED TO HER AND I TOLD HER THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ALRIGHT AND THAT YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR REST. I WATCHED HER VERY CLOSELY. MY SISTER HAD JUST STEPPED OUT THE ROOM WITH MY SISTER IN LAW TO GO DOWN TO THE CHAPEL AND TALK. AS SOON AS THEY GOT IN THE CHAPEL I TOLD MY BROTHER THAT SHE JUST TOOK HER LAST BREATH. HE GO AND TELL MY SISTER AND SHE CAME RUNNING AND SCREAMING. WE THINK THAT MOM DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE AS LONG AS MY SISTER WAS IN THE ROOM. AT THAT TIME ONLY MYSELF AND MY MOTHER WAS SAVED IN THE FAMILY. IT WAS LIKE I SAW HER SPIRIT LEAVE HER BODY GOING UP TO HEAVEN. I FELT A LIFT OF CALMNESS COME OVER ME. I HAD NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN MY LIFE. MY MOTHER WAS THE FIRST PERSON I EVER SAW LEAVE THIS WORLD IN AN INSTANCE. I FELT PRETTY GOOD THAT SUNDAY SHE DIED BECAUSE SHE WAS IN GODS HANDS IN HEAVEN. BUT DOING THAT WHOLE WEEK AFTER HER DEMISE I COULD NOT REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT SUNDAY. HER TWO SISTERS HAD GOTTEN NOTICE MAYBE AROUND ONE ON THAT SUNDAY AND GOT HERE RIGHT AFTER SHE HAD DIED.

THAT WAS SOMETHING I DID NOT KNOW. I DIDN'T SEE THEM UNTIL MONDAY BUT THE REST OF THAT WEEK IS STILL A MISTERY. I DON'T KNOW IF SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENED TO ME OR WHAT. BUT I STARTED PUTTING PIECES TOGETHER BACK IN 2004 AND MY MOTHER DIED IN 1994. A TEN YEAR SPAN. BUT IT WAS MY MOTHER YOUNGEST SISTER THAT HELP ME DEAL WITH WHAT I WENT THRU. THATS WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH EVERYBODY.