[Faith-talk] My Mother Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

[Albert J Rizzi]

My prayers are with you and your family at this time. If you have read this
before I hope you do not mind my sharing, if not, celebrate your mom now and
always, she paved the way for you and others and will be waiting to take you
in her arms once more.

A mother's journey.

The young mother set her foot on the path of life.
"Is this the long way?" she asked.
And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you
reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."
But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything
could be better than these years. 
So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, and taught
them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and reminded them to feed the
dog, and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them, and
the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."
Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and
the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and
covered them with her arms, and the children said, "Mother, we are not
afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed
and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the
children, "A little patience and we are there." So the children climbed, and
as they climbed they learned to weather the storms.
And with this, she gave them strength to face the world.
Year after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most
of all...unconditional love. 
And when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it
without you."
The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother
grew old and she became little and bent. But her children were tall and
strong, and walked with courage. And the other, when she lay down at night,
looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my
children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their
children."
And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their
strength, just as she had given them hers. 
One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill, they could see a shining
road and golden gates flung wide.
And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey.
And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can
walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their
children after them. And the children said , "You will always walk with us,
Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." 
And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed
after her. And they said:
"We cannot see her, but she is with us still.
A Mother like ours is more than a memory. 
She is a living presence."






Your Mother is always with you.
She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell
of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore,
she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well, she's your
breath in the air on a cold winter's day.
She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a
rainbow, she is Christmas morning.
Your Mother lives inside your laughter.
And she's crystallized in every tear drop. A mother shows every emotion
...happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness,
excitement, joy, sorrow...
and all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings
in life.
She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow
with every step you take.
She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing
on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space...not even death! 
PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MOTHERS 


Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
CEO/Founder
My Blind Spot, Inc.
90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
New York, New York  10004
www.myblindspot.org
PH: 917-553-0347
Fax: 212-858-5759
"The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
doing it."


-----Original Message-----
From: faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Peter Donahue
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 10:39 PM
To: Mary Donahue
Cc: officeofthepresident at nfb.org; faith-talk at nfbnet.org; Steve Shelton;
williamslev; l.silkey at cox.net; NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List; San
Antonio Texas Chapter Mailing List; donnajwood at cox.net; Buna Dahal; Michael
K. Freholm; Gibbson565 at aol.com; J BICHLER; Stanzel,Susan - Kansas City, MO;
Lisa Hall; sam jackson; kenneth rollman; nfb-web at nfbnet.org; sharon luka;
NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Donna
Fanelle; NFB of Missouri Mailing List; Mark Tardif
Subject: [Faith-talk] My Mother Crossed the Rainbow Bridge

        Good evening everyone,

    This year's Holiday Season will be filled with sorrow and joy. For those

receiving this news for the first time my mother was rushed to Northeast 
Methodist Hospital in San Antonio and was later transferred to Main 
Methodist to receive treatment from a neuro surgeon. Yesterday morning she 
was found slumped in her chair bleeding from the nose and mouth. She is 
believed to have suffered a major stroke  and was placed in ICU upon arrival

at Main Methodist. She never regained consciousness and was placed on life 
support where she remained until this afternoon. Her condition worsened 
during the night. The doctor offered to perform surgery but could not 
guarantee a deasent quality of life following the operation. With heavy 
hearts we decided to end life support. She crossed the rainbow bridge at 
about 1-15 p.m. following termination of life support. She died without 
regaining consciousness and is now in a better place.

    We're all sad and shocked with her passing. She exercised and took long 
walks to keep in shape and always insisted on eating right. She died at age 
73. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

    Mom was a fighter particularly when it came to my education. Like many 
parents of blind children during the 1960s and 1970s she was roped in to 
believing that the so-called "Experts" with the Department of Education in 
Massachusetts had all the answers when it came to teaching blind kids and 
where they should attend school. All of that changed when she visited the 
Oak Hill School for the Blind in Connecticut for a concert I would be 
participating in in 1972. The things she observed during her visit along 
with concerns about my well-being at the time prompted her in to action. 
Thus began what my family called the "1973 Uprising!" The environment at Oak

Hill and transportation issues lead to a campaign to have me transferred to 
the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown Massachusetts if not in to 
public high school. When the battle was over I attended Perkins for the 
remainder of my high school years and graduated in 1975. To the best of our 
knowledge this was the first time the parent of a blind child in 
Massachusetts issued a serious challenge to the dogma of special education 
officials at that time.

    To set the record straight this happened prior to my involvement in the 
National Federation of the Blind. Although we did not know the organization 
by name we had its spirit which subsequently allowed myself and many other 
blind individuals to have a quality of life we would not have otherwise. 
Had the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children been around I 
believe mom would have eventually rose to top leadership in that 
organization and would have been one of its staunchest members.

    Mom has assisted several other disabled individuals over the years most 
recently my adopted niece who has Down's Syndrome. Although they could only 
progress to a certain level she expected them to achieve a degree of 
independence and self-sufficiency. I am one example of her persistence and 
her "Pushing" me to attempt to do the assumingly impossible.
    It will be different tomorrow not hearing her in the kitchen cooking 
Thanksgiving Dinner and bossing us around in her demanding and sometimes 
humorous way.

    Our Thanksgiving feast will be dedicated to her memory. We're not sure 
about funeral services yet. She has requested that her body be cremated 
following the funeral.

    Mary and I along with the rest of my family greatly appreciate everyone 
keeping us in your prayers and thoughts during this Holiday Season. Mom's 
death was sudden and unexpected. We will miss her but we know she crossed 
the rainbow bridge and is now among the wranks of family members who 
preceded her. Again thanks for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts. All 
the best for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Peter Donahue



"Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
      And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
      And the air will resound with hosannas to greet you
      On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you."
Will You Come to the Bower
Traditional Irish Folk Song


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