Mom
By Tom Grout
April 14, 2008
My mom passed away late last Thursday afternoon. She was living in the Barret Care Center Nursing home and she had a stroke on Sunday the 6th. She never woke up from that stroke so we sat with her until she finally passed on that Thursday. Nobody can say my mom wasn’t a strong woman after what I witnessed last week.
Since this is a sports blog I will stay on this topic while talking about my mom. She had no athletic ability what so ever. I teased her all the time about it saying a tree, or a chair, or whatever had more athletic ability than she had. To watch her try and throw a ball was just down right hilarious, and she laughed right along with us. She went beyond throwing like a girl.
In her later years she did take up golf, which surprised me and delighted me at the same time. She wasn’t all that good at it but she did enjoy it a lot. She didn’t have a competitive bone in her body. The only time it did show up was when she beat my dad at something like a game or cards. She still didn’t care if she won or not but she took pleasure in beating my dad because he is very competitive.
Despite the fact that she didn’t like sports all that well and knew very little about them, she tried to keep up with it as best she could. How she tried to pronounce some of the Twins names is legendary.
I remember in 1969 we went to a Twins game when they played Baltimore. Dave McNally was pitching for the Orioles and was going after his 15th or 16th straight win which at the time would have been a record. Late in the game the Twins got the bases loaded and Rich Reese came into pinch hit and he proceeded to hit a grand slam homerun and the Twins won. When Reese hit the homerun the place just exploded and everyone was standing up. I then looked down and there was my mom still sitting there looking around trying to figure out what was going on. When mom went to a Twins game she was there to watch people, not the game, and she missed one of the most exciting plays of that or any season.
The one thing that was great about my mom and dad was that they missed very few games my brother and I played in. I played softball for 37 years and baseball some 20 years after high school. In those years there were a lot of games and they missed very few of them. They also attended just about every game my kids ever played in. That’s a lot of games especially for someone who really didn’t know what she was watching.
I’m going to miss my mom terribly. No matter how old you get you only have one mom and when she is gone it hurts.
So sorry to hear of you loss Tom and family....know that your family is in our prayers.
You were lucky to have her around to share the highlights of your, and more importantly, your family's lives.
Our condolences to all of you!
Tom, I'm sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts. Take care.
All I can say is to tell you that you are in our thoughts and prayers. I have a feeling that when your mom's eyes met His at the pearly gates, He could only say, "Job well done!" May we all be so deserving.
In the natural order of things children bury their parents. We spend a lifetime pyschologically preparing ourselves, and are never ready. Tom, your mother was a real fine woman. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this tough time. Cherish those memories!
hi tommy! i remember you and your family from way back when (mid 60's). You lived up the street from us in Elbow Lake. My twin brother (Les) and I played summer baseball with your brother. I remember your folks well. We're all sorry for your loss. I enjoy reading your blog entries. Best wishes. Lloyd Anderson
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