
She was orphaned at five when her mother died
Her dad still lived but he was out of the picture
He was a train engineer, always away
Maybe that’s why the sound of a train gives me a rush
She lived in houses with other people
Not ever a home to her
Except for the Goodson’s who took her in
For a while she lived on a farm
She had a horse she could ride
She never wanted to leave there
But she had to
She was born with 4 older brothers
One by one she lost them
She bore 4 sons then had me
She graduated high school in 3 years
To get out of the hell house she lived in
She went to college and met her man
He fell head over heels in love with her
Her beauty and the way she saw the world
So unlike anything he had ever known
From different sides of the tracks they were
He became a bomber pilot
She gave him 5 children in 7 years
She never really fit in
She was an enigma, filled with a wild view
She rescued Irish setters
She allowed any and every exotic animal
To be rescued by the rest of us
From owls and hawks
Snakes and an alligator
Repiles, amphibians, mammals
Bottle feeding raccoons and squirrels, skunks
Chimpanzees and other monkeys
And whatever came our way
We were the Folger Family
Iconic in Cincinnati back in those days
She stood in picketing lines
Against animal testing
I was pulled from my class to assist
In rescuing some poor Irish Setter
From an abusive home
My favorite story was the day
I was walking home from school
And a crowd of kids were throwing rocks
At an apartment building
I yelled to them to stop
So they turned on me with the rocks flying
I was just as tempermental as mom
I ran home while they laughed at me
I broke through the door yelling
“MOOSE!!! ERIN!! BESSIE!!!!!!!”
Those were the three most terrifying dogs we had
A Weimaraner, an Irish Setter and a German Shepherd
I leashed them up and ran up the street
That crowd of kids ran in fear
Into the lobby of the building
Locked in a small space
They were trapped and I yelled at them
“You come out of there or we are coming in!!!!”
The dogs were right on cue
Sensing my rage they growled and barked
And bore their terrible teeth
And leapt at the leash
Displaying a terrifying scene
The boys and girls- teenagers
Came creeping out
Hugging eachother and crying and begging
It was then I heard the sound
Like a river of slashing barks
Here she came, around the corner
My mom, with 7 more dogs
It was so funny I almost fell over laughing
But for the seriousness of the situation
Which demanded my rage to display
She looked like she was plowing a field
Leaning so far back so as not to fall forward
The pulling of 7 Irish Setters
Well, I was never more proud of her
So before hell was let loose
I told those kids to leave and never come back
I said, “If I ever see you again
There will be no leashes!!!!”
To this they all ran screaming
And crying up Madison Lane
Mom and I retreated home
No words needed to be spoken
The men were not there
We took care of it
God I love that memory
There were so many stories
Too many to tell today
On this day, the time has come
For all the years we missed
I wish it were not so
For all the times we did not see eye to eye
I wish it were not so
I wish you knew my kids
I wish you could know my grandchildren
I spent so many years wishing and praying
But I am glad for how we found eachother again
After Barney left us
We had time to spend
Even at a distance
It was better knowing you were there
It has been a long journey
It was not fair what you went through
A child should never have to suffer as you did
But it will be your laugh I remember
Those times at a holiday
When people of all existences were given a seat
Your table was extended to all those
Wandering souls…
You understood them, welcomed them home
There is never enough time to find yourself
Never enough time to mend the wounds
Never enough time to heal completely
And then you were taken bit by bit
That horrible disease took you step by step
I remember the last time I saw you in Key West
We talked for a long time by the sea
You said the most healing thing to me
“I really wish I had known you before”
Of course by then you forgot I was your daughter
But I told you the same- I wish the same
But we have eachother now….
Time, distance, enemies of the soul…
But your hero never left your side
He stood with and beside you all the days
Of your over 66 years together
He told you when it was time to leave
You were waiting to hear this I know
For who knows how to say goodbye
Goodbye now Mom
You left us a little while ago
But today, you are laid to rest
You will be with Barney now
Your amazingly crazy, hilarious
Adventurous, beautiful son
My Irish Twin
And your mother and father
Your brothers and so many more
I cannot be there today, to say goodbye
To stand with your man
To hold his hand as I would do
Because that is just the times we live in
No visit to say goodbye
No holding your hand
No telling you what I needed to say
But you know now don’t you
Once you saw through a foggy lens
Now you see with clarity
That I was here all the time
Loving you and wanting you
And I am so grateful you kept insisting
One more child
Till you had a girl, that was me
I know I was not what you thought I would be
But in the end
I love you, always did, always will
You did it
You made a family
A legacy to be proud of
From Ted to Mike to Jeremy To Barney
And to me… we are your legacy
We will always carry you with us through our children
And our grandchildren
Your gift of sight to believe in mysterious things
You never got to take a dancing class
Or painting or singing or anything else
But you gave it all to me
I will now try even harder to give this
To myself and my own
But so much more
To any and every foster child
Or kid who never was given the chance
You should have been a great talent
Your songs and dances should have happened
But in private you were a writer..
So I will remember this last thing..
One time as a teenager I asked you
“What do you think I will be when I grow up?”
Without hesitation you said
“A writer”
I had never done that… but everyday you did
You wrote and wrote
When I started this blog it was because of you
I am no writer
I do not know how to do it right
But I will write and I will make sure
That others like you
Will get the chance while they are still young
To express themselves creatively
To have a shot at finding their voice and
Healing their wounds
But I will need something from you to do this
Infuse me with your ideas
Inspire me in the sunrises and sunsets
And let’s do it together
You in your newfound freedom of eternity
And me trapped in this world
Show me the path and I will walk in it
Okay
Today Dad will be by your side
As they lay you to rest..
I am there in spirit
I know you are already gone
But I miss everyone so terribly
The sharp pain will ease
Time heals
But you, for all we went through together and apart
I will look for you in nature
That is where you saw the universe
And so do I
You know why
Against all odds
I am your daughter
I will always carry you with me
When the sunsets tonight
I will see you waving goodbye
And when it rises tomorrow I will hear you
In my heart whispering
Be who you were born to be
And I will
I promise to do my best
Bye for now Mom
_______________________________________________________________________
The Sarah Hale Folger Project seeks to inspire greatness in humanity by sharing inspiring stories with the world. Please contact me here on my blog or through my website at http://www.TheArtUniverse.com
Sarah Hale Folger is a Creative Consultant, Artist, Singer and Educator. PLEASE make sure to subscribe to my blog today so you never miss the next thing happening in the world the way I see it! Please feel free to comment, share and please, subscribe to my blog. Thank You.

Wow. Wow and Wow. This is worthy of a documentary. An amazing life.
Thank You Johnny… you are always there for me..
I remember your Mom so well. As you said, the door was ALWAYS open. My love for animals, much like your family, was nurtured by you and your family. The crush us little gals had on your older brother, and walking Moose and Erin. Playing with Peaches, and all the other animals. Your Mom always let us come over. And I too, remember her always smiling. What a BEAUTIFUL tribute to your Mom. I love you to the moon and back.
Your Little Sis
Meredith
Love you to the moon and back to lil sis!
This is beautiful, Sarah. Just beautiful.
You say you are no writer; then write so eloquently, and so heartfully. I never knew your mom, and barely have gotten to know you, and your loss and your love and your sense of family and your love of animals and nature…and sunsets touches my soul. My mother, now ninety-one, never uses the words good-bye. Every parting ends with “I love you,” because she believes, as do I, that our souls are attached, and even if we lose touch in this world, we will catch up in another. The sharp pain of initial separation turns to an ache that sometimes throbs when you forget they’re no longer just at the end of a phone call, or a plane ride. But then invisible arms of memory enfold you and make you smile for the connection that goes backward and forward in time. No one ever fully leaves you. No good-byes. Just I love you.
Wow Robb- so glad you wrote this. We have similar souls… I’m so glad we are on the sane team. I really appreciate your heartfelt words.