Deracination, and Loss of Legacy ... and the Last of the Mohicans

One source of pain that comes up again and again ... and that is really so very connected to deracination I guess ... is loss of legacy.

Momma ... I know ... from what you said ... and from your voice ... and from your eyes ... how very precious it was to you that I wanted the precious, precious personal things in your legacy to me. You loved that I loved the pictures, the photo albums, the spoons you collected from our trips overseas, the special clothes that meant so much to you ... and of course the things that you had received from your mother, and your grandmother ... all these have been, and are, so precious to me ... and it was so precious to you that these were precious to me, your son.

Oh Momma sitting here I can look at pictures on the walls, and over at your photo albums, and at that wedding chest you got in Libya, and at so many things ... precious to me, precious to you, precious beyond words, precious beyond measure.

And ... to be very selfish yes but also perhaps to be very human ... who will want the things of Charles?

I have no children. No heirs. My sister is estranged. My cousins kind and courteous beyond words but these are not, I think, things that will be greatly meaningful to them ... they have and should have their own lives ... how kind they have been ... but ...

There's that but ... in another time, another place, there would be no but of this kind ... no deracination that left someone wondering, "who will want my things that are not of great monetary value but of great personal value?"

Well ... let's not over-glorify even our dear departed generations. Today's deracinations that are everywhere evident may have been far less frequent in their day, but no doubt happened then too.

Fire and flood and earthquake ... and rape and pillaging and conquest ... all took harsh toll, didn't they, on many, many families and villages and communities ...

The very name of the Last of the Mohicans speaks of the losses that happened throughout time to whole tribes and communities.

Momma you loved James Fenimore Cooper ... and the Leatherstocking Tales ... and perhaps especially the Last of the Mohicans ... is it possible that to you even then the chill of deracination that reaches all of us in our ill-starred family was touching your great heart as well?

Oh my.

Well O Lord may Thy Will Be Done in this as in all things.

Oh but how it hurts.

Father Job pray for me.

I love you Lord Jesus

I love you and miss you so much Momma on this the anniversary of 8 months since we laid you to rest. O Momma I saw the bunny rabbit in the back yard this morning ... he raced across and was gone ... we would have talked about him ... and you would have laughed and smiled ... and I with you ... but O ... so fast does time and life race away from all of us.

I love you and miss you Momma so much.

Please please please good Jesus ... take good care of my good Momma

I miss you and love you

Thank you

Thank you for everything.

Charles Delacroix
The Last of this Line of Our Family
on this 8th month Anniversary of Your Funeral Momma
on this 6th Sunday in Eastertide