Hommel Mangas
The family has been tag-teaming, taking shifts camping out in room No. 9 at Grand Brook Memory Care of Greenwood. Our mom, Betty Jane (Kirch) Hommel is transitioning from this life.
“Sitting vigil,” I am sure, looks differently in every family, but it’s just the basic act of being present bedside in the final days or hours of life. All week-long the siblings and grandkids and great-grands have filtered in to love on Mom/Grandma Betty.
With Dad’s band music playing softly on the CD player in the background, we listen to Frank’s voice sing the words to the 1942 song: “Don’t sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me.” We were reminded Dad played guitar in our living room singing the same lyrics grinning to Mom as she folded a basket of never-ending clean laundry for our family of nine — matching baby socks, Mom would smile back.
We’ve played one of Dad’s CD’s for Mom a bazillion times this week. With Dad’s music playing softly in the background, we imagine him coming to escort Mom to heaven with songs like “Heart of my Heart,” “Shine on Harvest Moon,” “Don’t Know Why I Love You Like I Do,” “Kiss Me Once or Kiss Me Twice,” “Five Foot Two,” “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby” and “Ain’t She Sweet.”
It’s probably not doctrinally correct, and of course these aren’t hymns or gospel music but I cannot imagine God not enjoying some of these old songs.
As we seven siblings, spouses and grandkids filtered in and out, we all began to play the “put your sticker name-tag on the calendar over someone else’s nametag” game. We figured the game rules implied that Mom’s favorites are the names of those whose nametags are showing on top.
Next to Mom’s bed are a variety of Bible verses, chosen and written by hand by her grandchildren on blue-hued post-it notes and stuck to the wall.
Granddaughter and college freshman Raegan Hommel wrote: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4
Grace Hommel Wood, college student and childcare professional wrote: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither nor height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 8:38-39
Madi Rector, granddaughter and mother of three wrote: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, no pain anymore for the former things have passed away.” — James 1:12.
Brother David and Julia Hommel’s sixth-grade triplets, Reese, Emery and Faith also chose Bible verses and attached them to the wall. One wrote: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the HEAVENS.” — 2 Corinthians 5:1.
Someone who didn’t sign their name attached this to Mom’s headboard: “I AM,” Jesus said. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One …” — Mark 14:62
Earlier in the day Wednesday granddaughter Chloe Tillman and her 18-month old son John, with sister Phoebe Ritchie and a few aunts and uncles requested to circled up bedside in prayer. They then sang the 1937 standard “You Are My Sunshine” — someone harmonized, and it was angelic.
Hours later, I played an old cassette tape that Dad had recorded in 2007 when he played a gig at Melody Manor in Mooresville with bandmembers Boots and Brownie. Dad ended with a melody of four songs, inviting everyone to sing or clap along, intermingling the songs:
“This little light of Mine, I’m going to let it shine …
Jesus paid it due me … I’m going to let it shine …
Give me the old-time religion …
If it’s good enough for Paul and Silas, it’s good enough for me …
Do Lord, Oh, do Lord, oh, do remember me …
I’ve got a home in glory land, that outshines the sun
Look away beyond the blue.”
The medley ends with:
“Goodnight sweetheart, well, it’s time to go
Goodnight sweetheart, well, it’s time to go
I hate to leave you, but I really must say
Oh, goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight.”
Dad sings the changed lyrics to:
“We hate to leave you, but we’re tired and old
Oh, goodnight, sweetheart, goodnight.” (You can hear the laughter in the background)
His last words on the tape are, “Good afternoon and God bless you!”
Janet Hommel Mangas grew up on the east side of Greenwood. The Center Grove area resident and her husband are the parents of three daughters. Send comments to [email protected].
