This has been a tough go for about a year or so. Kay Kline, my mother in-law has been in declining health for much of that time, and my wife has been at her side with encouragement and everything you would expect from a saint.
She learned from the best. All the Klines are like that. When my brother in-law, Ken, was killed in a car accident in 1988, I remember that there was a lot of confusion. Susie and I drove frantically to Shreveport to be with her mom and dad and the rest of the family. Shortly after we arrived, a car with her Uncle Bobby and Aunt Marlene pulled up with Maryland license plates. They had heard the news about Ken, gotten in their car, and driven all night to be with the family.
Susie’s family is special. They don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. Over the last few weeks of her mom’s life, Susie lived in her hospital room with her, slept there, helped her to the bathroom, watched TV with her, discussed life with her, probably saved her life a time or two, and truly never left her side. When her mom went home, Susie came back to Austin for a week of R and R before heading back to Shreveport to stay with her mom indefinitely. She planned to leave on Saturday morning.
But, her mother died on Friday.
Some would wonder about the timing, but I think I understand. Her mother was looking out for her and didn’t want her to be there to see her die. So, on the day before Susie returned, she gave up. No horrible end. She just went away. Peacefully. She left this world doing what the Kline family does best: looking out for someone else.
The funeral was a beautiful event, a celebration held at Shreveport’s Barnwell Arts Center. Paintings were on display in the room where the ceremony was held. And not just famous artists were on display. Kay Kline’s paintings hung on the walls, too, a testament to her artistic ability and her great eye for beauty.
And there, on the front row was a family from all over the United States, many from the far reaches, some who had to really struggle to make the journey and be present.
I have been in the Kline Family now for 30 years and still I am amazed by the great love and the selfless actions of these people. I’m not sure that I’ve said it, so here goes….thanks. I’ve learned a lot about love from you all.
Miss Kay would be proud.
