Easter 2019 - Bob Ringwood
The week in Tybee island, Georgia was a success. We got to the Peach State in fine shape and within hours Sean had a sunburn. The week provided wonderful memories of the family enjoying the ocean, celebrating the matriarchs 45th birthday and visiting Savannah.
Before you knew it, the week had come and gone and thus the return home loomed. The weather had changed and there were reports of poor weather all along the eastern seaboard and the patriarchs job was simple...get the family home safe! Not only was traffic busy deep in the south, but the winds were picking up along with the rain. The slog home was gonna be a challenge And then..the cell phones started warning of tornado watches.. so much so that at several times through out.. the message was clear...Seek Shelter Now!
And then Mom arrived.
We were somewhere in North Carolina, near Fort Bragg.. was that where Dad was stationed? Where sister Nancy was born? No....that was Camp Laguine. Was it near Fort Bragg? As the clouds darkened, we kept these developments from the kids so as not to alarm them... especially Sean. We pulled off to the side of the road to get lunch and gas up. It's Good Friday and early afternoon. As we go about our business preparing to catch a breath and break, regroup and hit the road once again....I notice the song playing and it's this tune by Styx..."Babe I Love You." It came out in the late 70's after Dad had passed and was popular on the radio. I recall Mom singing it and maybe in the back of her mind it was Dad saying goodbye to her.
So there I am hearing this song, somewhere in North Carolina and it hits me like a bolt of lightning...that's Mom! And she's telling me she is with us, watching over us and will get us home safe and sound. And so it happened in just that way. I have no doubt in my mind that Mom was guiding us home on that Good Friday....just like she guided me to the kids on another eventful Good Friday when Grandma Margaret "lost" Colin, Abby, Sean and their cousin Brady (another story for another time).
Mom was their once again watching over her children once again...and Mom....I love you!
STYX - CORNERSTONE “Babe I Love You”