Cindy McElroy

My Mom –

The Queen of Norway

My mother’s name was Sally. She was admitted into a nursing home in January of 2006, just a couple of weeks after her 79th birthday. Up Until that time I was totally unaware of her condition. She was always so independent and that’s how I imagined she’d always be. She got through so many tough situations on her own that when she started calling me regularly, especially late at night, asking for help with even the smallest of things, that’s when I started to feel very concerned and a little bit encumbered.

When she got sick I could no longer ignore the fact that she needed me much more that she had ever needed me before. I had always been the child, free to do whatever I wanted to do. But now things had somehow gotten switched around. Thank the Lord for my husband, Mike, who helped me with so many things. And I guess my continence took care of the rest.

The Nursing home was relatively close to us (between home and my workplace) which was great because I got to see my mother almost every single day and on those days I couldn’t see her, Mike made sure that he did. Of course other family member and some of my close friends would drop by to visit her whenever they could. You know how much this helped relieve some of the stress I was feeling.

It was Mother Day 2006. The nursing home was overflowing with visitors. My cousins had come from Bay City and Detroit as well as my friend Tina who had brought along her guitar. Of course I had mine and surprisingly some other visitors had brought their instruments.

Somehow we all came together in my mom’s room and started playing and singing. Everyone was taking part, patients, visitors, and staff! It was wonderful! Soon people from all over the building were coming by to listen and to join in the fun. We played for a long time, but then when it got to be a little quieter and there were only a few of us left I looked over at my mother and I could see a tear running down her cheek.

I said, “Mom, are you ok? What’s the matter?”

She looked up at me and said, “Just been named the Queen of Norway.”

We all just stared at each other and I said, “Really? Hmph..” And I didn’t say another word about it.

The next I stopped by the nursing home after work. To my surprise, I discovered they were having their annual “Senior Prom”. Attendants were wheeling women back and forth from the hair salon. Everyone was so excited and all decked out in their best clothes. The men looking totally dapper, the women the epitome of elegance, even those who were wheel chair bound.

I called home immediately and had Mike bring over this beautiful silk dress that my mom had bought a few years earlier for Easter. It was the most exquisite sunset coral color you could imagine and I knew that she loved that dress! Mike and I got her all dolled up, make-up, hair, nails, the works. She looked like an absolute dream.

The Prom was lovely. There was dancing and games and of course they selected the Prom King and Queen along with the girl with the prettiest eyes and the boy with the most devilish smile. After it was over and I was taking Mom back to her room I asked her if she had had a good time. “Oh”, she said, “It was wonderful! But you know, nobody curtsied”. Well of course I did right then and there! I slept well that night knowing that she had a really good time.

When I visited Mom the next day, she brought up the stress of being the new Queen. I was so amazed at the story itself and the fact that she was still taking about it. I finally had to ask, “Mom, this is so amazing! How did it happen? I mean, what happened to the old queen?”

Mom replied, “Well, she died and the king appointed me.”

It made sense to me in some weird way and it was at that moment that the thought occurred to me, and I asked, “So if you’re the Queen of Norway does that mean that I’m a Princess?”

We both giggled! And mom said, “Well! I should think it would!”

I’ve told this story countless times but when I told it to my friend Rich Hill, a fellow musician, that I was thinking of writing a song about it, he came back to me the very next day with the most wonderful lyrics and as far as I was concerned the task was complete. I’d like to thank him from the bottom of my heart for giving me the beautiful words that became "The Queen of Norway".