Virginia's 2 Year Anniversary

January 5, 2007 was the day this picture was taken and it was the last time I saw my Mom alive. Her room was on the 5th floor of St. John's Mercy hospital in suburban St. Louis. I brought my camera with me from Las Vegas and on this Sunday afternoon I set it on a counter for a self portrait of the two of us.
Mom passed away 2 years ago on February 13, 2007 during a heavy St. Louis snowstorm. I boarded a plane early that morning in Las Vegas to fly to St. Louis directly, however the plane was forced to land in Omaha, Nebraska because Lambert Airport in St. Louis closed due to the weather.
(click on image to enlarge)...
At 6 pm that evening our plane was able to take off as the St. Louis airport reopened. My hopes were to make it to St. Louis, get a rental car, and then drive to my Mom's house in St. Peters while she was still alive. It did not quite work out that way tho. As I arrived in St. Louis and checked my cell phone I received a voicemail from my sister Mary. The message was that Mom had passed away at about 7:15pm.
My trip continued as I picked up the rental and drove thru the snowstorm and feeling my way to her house. When I pulled up to the house I happened to see Lisa who was just leaving and then I went to see Karen & Mary inside. Mary told me that Mom was in her bedroom where she had been laying down. I then went to spend time alone with my Mom for the last time.