ROLL ME AWAY
?Before you leave, you must know you are beloved, And before you leave remember I was with you?  -Mumford and Sons
Nubble Lighthouse, York, Maine
The title of this piece is taken from the Bob Seger song of the same name. Always one of my favorites it?s one of many I sang to my mother when she was near her end, and we could no longer have conversations. Like all great art the song invites you to put yourself in it, whether you ride a motorcycle or not you cannot help but accompany Seger as he once again rides out and tries to ?get it right?.
My mother died on August 11th of this year. Five days later she took her first motorcycle ride, a weeklong trip from my home in Pennsylvania throughout New England. We made no real plan, no reservations, we traveled freely, stayed where we could, and met who we would along the way. I wanted to offer a dear woman who allowed herself precious little solitude, some of mine in the best way I know to experience it. There were many times I?d tried to get her to come away on holidays to Longwood Gardens outside Philadelphia. She adored flowers and would have been amazed; but among a mother?s burdens are impartiality, and selflessness so she would always decline, wanting to be available to everyone else. So this trip was a gift of sorts, and a chance to grieve; but mostly an opportunity to honor my mother in the only way left, other than this column, that I knew how to.
Family trip to Henderson Beach, N.C. after chemo with grandson...