This is a story that begins tragically, with the passing of our mother… and yet, there is a tremendously happy ending, even if it is bittersweet. Much to the surprise of almost everyone on the planet, our beloved Lila took pause in the afternoon on a lovely, quiet day, Dec. 2, 2015, laid down on her couch, and closed her eyes for the last time. This event prompted all sorts of unexpected activities in the hours, days and weeks that followed.
My brother Scott, who had been living in Illinois for many years by that time – constantly stoking the nearly impossible dream of returning to Florida – would soon experience a vast improvement in his fortunes. Within a month, he was thinking of making a two-week trip to stay in Mom’s place, since we were facing some time before we’d be able to sell it. By mid-February, he was thrilled to be preparing to relocate indefinitely. Though none of us knew how much the inheritance would add up to, or how long it would last him, so long as it held, he was intent upon being in Florida, and we (especially our cousins, Joel and Linda Ridings) were all-in to support him.
The road trip that transported Scott from Greenville to Orlando in early March was pure magic. Scott was the able pilot, and his longtime friend and attendant Michelle Sams made the mission possible as his co-pilot. They arrived with the sunrise, disproving the many who’d said he could not make the drive. Despite the victory of perseverance, having never been inside of Mom’s place on Buckskin Road, it did not exactly measure up to Scott’s standards, even though I’d made two separate trips to de-flea, de-clutter and deeply cleanse.
Five months later, Scott departed Starlight Ranch Mobile Home Park for good, and we still consider ourselves so lucky. First, due to being able to sell Mom’s place and bank over $10,000 for Scott’s Trust… and second, because Joel and Linda made him most welcome in their home in Haines City, where he has lived happily ever since.
2001 is the year Beth and I moved east from Los Angeles, settling in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, and beginning our family in August of that year. We were about equidistant from the grandparents in Wisconsin/Illinois and Florida, and right next door to Beth’s mom, step-dad, sister, brother-in-law, nieces and grandmother. In the years that followed, we regularly planned our vacations to spend some time each spring in Florida, and Mom – aka Gramma Lila – was always on the agenda. We included her in trips to Crystal River, St. Pete, the Keys and Walt Disney World, and in 2015, we chose a condo on Cocoa Beach to put us in easy reach of her. She turned 70 in 2014, and while she remained 100% “Lila,” her energy had waned considerably. She proclaimed our 2012 trip to Universal Studios Florida her last visit to a theme park… and proved herself right.
Time spent together was a primary objective, always… and yet, days of togetherness were rare. The last time Mom and Scott were together with me and my family was at a Ridings family reunion – my Mom’s side of the family – in Greenville, back in 2011. The summer before that, Mom and Scott had met up at our home in Boone. While we always wanted to share our time in person, the most common scenario was separation, but with regular phone calls, emails and texts to close the distance.
However, upon leaving the stage, Lila unleashed a phoenix in my brother’s life that provided all he needed to make a dream come true… and more. Since 2016, he has been at home in Florida, and he continues to have options. The journey has not been without its speed bumps, and yet, most burdens have been lightened thanks to Lila’s heroism. Beginning in 2016, for the first time ever, we were able to factor Uncle Scott into our Florida Spring Break. The following year, we took it to the next level: We rented a home in New Smyrna Beach that was very Scott-friendly. Here are some of the experiences we shared, as you can see in the pictures I’m including here: He was able to spend time with us, Beth’s brother Dan and his family and other friends in the back yard by the pool; we were able to enjoy Chase’s by the Beach together and soak in the beachside experience; and perhaps most importantly for Scott’s soul, he was able to cruise out onto the beach.
In the video documenting his maiden voyage across the sand, Scott’s joy abounds. There is also the silent presence of an angel in the scene.
So on the morning of April 15th, 2017, when Beth and I walked to the beach in the twilight to capture footage of the sunrise, she was with us then as well. We were quietly celebrating the fruition of dreams long held with overwhelming odds stacked against them. Making them come true required countless small sacrifices by our Mom over many years… all of which added up and unleashed new possibilities for my brother.
We have witnessed many wonderful miracles of love in this life… and yet, none are greater than this testament of Lila Ridings Darnell and her love for her kids. Her gift is eternal, and as beautiful as anything I can imagine. Thank you Mom… and very, very, very well done.
