[Oe List ...] Ruth Carter

[Tracy E. Longacre]

Thanks for sharing that, Jan. it's really helpful to connect to Ruth in her
last days.

On Sunday, August 4, 2013, wrote:

>   The last time Bud and I visited Ruth Carter was just over a year ago.
> She was standing on her porch waiting for us.  A better welcome there could
> never be.
>
>  Of late she seemed to struggle with depression so I made it a practice to
> call her from time to time.  It was always the same; she answered with a
> weak voice and ended with a "smile" and some renewed energy.  I talked to
> her 10 days or so before she died.  In an effort to help her reconnect  to
> one of her energy sources I asked her if she ever went to the preschool.
> She said, "Not much but they come to me.   They stand on the sidewalk and
> call 'Ms Carter, Ms Carter, Ms. Carter.  We love you".  She said she would
> go out on her porch and wave and talk to them.   Neither the children or
> staff forgot her!  Nor did we!
>
>  And truthfully that is where she died according to Regina; on her beloved
> front porch.  When Regina's son came home from baseball or basketball
> practice on the 25th he found her on the porch and couldn't get her to
> move.  He called his mom and she came.  They called the paramedics who
> asked Regina what she wanted them to do.  She said "Save my Mama.  Save my
> Mama".  They tried.!  On the way to Mt. Sinai Hospital they did get a
> heartbeat and the hospital kept her on life-support for 3 days or so.  Her
> kids and grandkids filled the room during that time  till they really got
> it that she was brain-dead, till they could let her go and asked them to
> take her off life support.
>
> As Regina and I visited she said she really died on that porch she loved.
> And I say just as she planned.  She chose not to have a stent or pacemaker
> and knew the consequences as did they all.  She waved to us on that porch.
> She waved to the 5th City Preschool children and staff on that porch,
> she stayed connected to the community on that porch and no doubt waved to
> the angel of death on that porch.  Free, free, free to decide.  She knew it
> and she did.
>
>  Not too many days before she sat alone in the preschool yard.  One of her
> goodbyes?  I think so.  And on the day she left she was up and about her
> house...visiting with Regina, eating lunch, clearing dishes and wiping the
> table clean.  When Regina went upstairs to her home Ruth went out on the
> front porch to her home.
>
> Hear her sing.  See her dance.  As we all rehearsed with one
> another.....Free, Free, Free to Decide.
>             May it be so.
>                     Jan Ames
>
>
> FYI     Ruth's address (and James and Regina also)  3511 W. Van Buren
>
> Chicago, IL 60624
>            Denise and Mike are her other 2 children
>


-- 
Tracy E. Longacre
tel at telphoto.com
Sent from one of my iThingies
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