Message from Mom on Mother’s Day

Mom passed away in her home, “found down.” An unattended death involves the Police and Medical Examiner. Sadly, Mom and I had been estranged for many years. Being her oldest surviving child, I was legally named the Executrix.

I called the crematorium and gave them Mom’s name only to be told they had no one by that name. I backtracked with the Police and Medical Examiner, confirming I had the correct information. After calling the crematorium again and they assured me again they had no one by that name. Now what?

The lawyer suggested I locate a copy of her birth certificate. After digging endless hours through her personal papers, I found it! Turns out the first name I knew Mom by was her not her actual first name at birth. “Ann” was her birthname, which she had moved to a middle name, using a new first name, the only one I ever knew her by. Mystery solved!

Several years later, I was stopped at a redlight on my way to work, this photo was the license plate on the truck in front of me… on Mother’s Day. I could not stop laughing. Happy Mother’s Day from “Mom”!