“Family is supposed to be our safe haven. Very often, it’s the place where we find the deepest heartache.” ~Iyanla Vanzant My brother called me at work on a random Tuesday to say that my mother had suddenly died.
Powerful emotions of shock and relief ran through my body, like someone rang a gong right next to me. The war was over. Like most people with an , I had previously wondered how I would feel when my mother died.
I was not surprised at the relief, nor that I wasn’t sad. I did not think about what would happen next. The Funeral One brother and I flew to Houston to meet my second brother.
As happens with death in the South, the neighbors loaded us up with food—bless them. While we were tasked with making plans for the funeral, my mother’s extended family converged upon us.