- Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:11 pm
#423
In April or May 1981, mother went to a doctor in a remote town in southwestern Colorado complaining of pain in her lower stomach. She kept going back every month with the same pain until July or August of the same year when the doctor finally made arrangements for her to to to a specialist in Denver. We brought her to Denver, they did an exploratory procedure and came right out and told us it was too late. The cancer had spread and she had three or four months to live. We were devestated. In shock I backed up into an empty room and prayed to the Virgin Mary to intercede for me once again and I asked Her to let us have mom for the next two Christmases which were the Christmas of 1981 and 1982. As I was praying to the Virgin Mary I told her it would be difficult to spend even one Christmas with out mom. i knew two years would be a long time considering what the doctor had said.
We were a close family and enjoyed Easter, the fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day together. Christmas was especially a great day for the family because it was usually too cold for the outdoors. Two of my brothers took out their guitars and I sang mom's favorite songs and we thoroughly enjoyed mom's cooking. One of us traveled from Wyoming, three of us traveled from Denver and one sister from New Mexico. Another sister lived close by.
Nevertheless, when mom was released from the hospital after the bad news, we took her home and started her on vitamins and different kinds of teas. As if in answer to my prayers mom rallied. One brother says he heard a doctor say the cancer was in remission and were extremely pleased. The Christmas of 1981, we celebrated at my parents home and the Christmas of 1982 at my house in metro Denver.
Mom's health began to deteriorate early in 1983. I took my wife to visist my parents during the first week of May 1983 and she did not look well at all. My wife wanted to spend a week with mom before she passed on. We came back to Denver and I took her back the following Saturday so she could spend a week with mom. On Wednesday she call me and said mom was really sick. So when Saturday came around I left early and took my rosary with me. Before I had traveled half ways to Mom I had prayed a rosary and had talked to the Virgin Mary. I thanked Her for making it possible for Mom be with us as I had requested. I told her I knew mom in all likelihood had to go now. As bad as I was feeling I asked her to give me a sign that mom was going straight to heaven. My faith in the Blessed Virgin has always been high and since it was a cloudy day, I envisioned that clouds would form in such a way to resemble her face. I still had about 120 miles to my parent's house, so I was not worried at first but the closer I got depression started to set in. When I got to about 5 miles from the house I had a heavy feeling in my stomach. I arrived at the house, got off the car and took one long last look at the clouds and saw nothing. I went in the porch at the house and hugged mom and my wife who were sitting about 8-9 feet apart but facing each other. I sat close to mom and she was telling me she was ready to go, all she was waiting for was the will of God. We talked about 10 minutes when my wife suddendly said, " mom is this OK?" She held up an almost completed embroidery of the face of the Blessed Virgin. I almost went through the roof. After I calmed down I told mom she was going straight to heaven. I then proceeded to tell them both about my request to the Virgin Mary on my way from Denver and my long hunt for Her face up in the clouds.
Mom died close to two weeks later in June of 1983. Needless, to say my wife completed her embroidery of the Blessed Virgin including the stars around Her head and the rosary hanging from one arm. We had it framed and it is beautiful. But I will never forget my two miraculous Christmases. Sincerely, Ernest E. Valdez, Evaldez97@aol.com
We were a close family and enjoyed Easter, the fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day together. Christmas was especially a great day for the family because it was usually too cold for the outdoors. Two of my brothers took out their guitars and I sang mom's favorite songs and we thoroughly enjoyed mom's cooking. One of us traveled from Wyoming, three of us traveled from Denver and one sister from New Mexico. Another sister lived close by.
Nevertheless, when mom was released from the hospital after the bad news, we took her home and started her on vitamins and different kinds of teas. As if in answer to my prayers mom rallied. One brother says he heard a doctor say the cancer was in remission and were extremely pleased. The Christmas of 1981, we celebrated at my parents home and the Christmas of 1982 at my house in metro Denver.
Mom's health began to deteriorate early in 1983. I took my wife to visist my parents during the first week of May 1983 and she did not look well at all. My wife wanted to spend a week with mom before she passed on. We came back to Denver and I took her back the following Saturday so she could spend a week with mom. On Wednesday she call me and said mom was really sick. So when Saturday came around I left early and took my rosary with me. Before I had traveled half ways to Mom I had prayed a rosary and had talked to the Virgin Mary. I thanked Her for making it possible for Mom be with us as I had requested. I told her I knew mom in all likelihood had to go now. As bad as I was feeling I asked her to give me a sign that mom was going straight to heaven. My faith in the Blessed Virgin has always been high and since it was a cloudy day, I envisioned that clouds would form in such a way to resemble her face. I still had about 120 miles to my parent's house, so I was not worried at first but the closer I got depression started to set in. When I got to about 5 miles from the house I had a heavy feeling in my stomach. I arrived at the house, got off the car and took one long last look at the clouds and saw nothing. I went in the porch at the house and hugged mom and my wife who were sitting about 8-9 feet apart but facing each other. I sat close to mom and she was telling me she was ready to go, all she was waiting for was the will of God. We talked about 10 minutes when my wife suddendly said, " mom is this OK?" She held up an almost completed embroidery of the face of the Blessed Virgin. I almost went through the roof. After I calmed down I told mom she was going straight to heaven. I then proceeded to tell them both about my request to the Virgin Mary on my way from Denver and my long hunt for Her face up in the clouds.
Mom died close to two weeks later in June of 1983. Needless, to say my wife completed her embroidery of the Blessed Virgin including the stars around Her head and the rosary hanging from one arm. We had it framed and it is beautiful. But I will never forget my two miraculous Christmases. Sincerely, Ernest E. Valdez, Evaldez97@aol.com
Ernest E. Valdez
