And A Special Memory

 

 This series of Blogs began with the August 9th entry. If you missed the previous, you might want to back up and get caught up.

Some rather happy people!

And understandably so.

They would be my niece, Karen, and my Mom and Dad and the scene is the Pontiac Silverdome on September 19, 19887, the day of the Papal Mass there.

As I mentioned in a previous writing, I whisked Mom and Dad there in my GM courtesy "Popemobile." Then I moved them swiftly through the entry gate by way of those extra Secret Service badges that I was carrying. (And please note - by the time of this photo, those badges were back in my possession and securely tucked away.

And they had great seats too!

Second level, directly overlooking the Papal altar.

I could do that as well because I had one of the first claims to Silverdome seating so that I could be sure that the ministers working with me could be where they needed to be and where I wanted them to be.

And with that little "privilege" I decided I could just claim a couple more seats to put some special people just where they needed to be and where I wanted them to be.

Why not?

And Karen was there as well to be sure that everything was just fine with them.

And speaking of "Where they needed to be . . . "

Well, one great concern Mom and Dad expressed about going to the Mass had to do with the location and accessibility of restrooms, a concern that people of a certain age can readily understand.

And these seats practically fit the bill!

Easy, reasonable walking distance - but with one slight concern.

The "traditional" concern.

Seems at events like this there is always a line waiting for entry into the women's restroom while no such wait is found with the mens'.

However, that concern was also easily remedied.

Two mens' restrooms were within reasonable walking distance.

So, pen in hand and paper at ready, a quick jotting of the word "Women" on a couple of sheets of paper and then a speedy, secretive scotch taping of these newly crafted signs to the doors of one of those mens' rooms and a conversion was made.

A Mens' room and become a second Women's room!

We now had two women's restrooms within reasonable walking distance and the men were reduced to a single room

But the guys could probably survive.

And the womens' lines suddenly disappeared.

And I would just bet you never expected to hear something like that in a reminiscence of a Papal event - but there it was.

Final problem solved.

I could return to my duties at ground level and Mom and Dad could relax and enjoy.

And pray with the Pope!

And that was still another consideration.

I don't know if Mom shared this with anyone else but I do know that a couple of times she told me.

She let me know that the "line" Dad used to convince her to say, "Yes," and marry him was a promise. He promised her that she would wear mink and someday see the Pope!

Well, she waited a whole lot of years.

And the Christmas of 1986 she finally got that coat.

And on that September day in 1987, with a little help from his eldest kid, Dad saw to it that Mom actually did see the Pope.

His promise was fulfilled. He delivered!

And ten weeks later Mom was gone.

Early morning the day after Thanksgiving she took her final leave of us.

She had Someone even more important, much more important, to see.

And she didn't even need a Popemobile or security badge to get there.

She just had to say, "Goodbye for now."

Meantime, Keep Praying . . . and Stay Safe!