A MOURNING SON has described his deceased mother as “the biggest blessing we never asked for but still received”.
Kareem Lashley was eulogising Maxine Lashley, mother of four, on Wednesday, who lost her battle to cancer last month, two weeks after her last son Romario – a wanted man – was killed by police. The two now rest side-by-side in the graveyard at St Thomas Parish Church.
Despite the sad occasion, Kareem spoke passionately. His voice rarely quivered during the five-minute speech as his brother Kyle stood next to him at the podium at the Mount Olive Holy Church of America in Carrington Village, St Michael, Wednesday.
Kareem recalled the life of his 50-year-old mother, who lived at Downes Gap, Arthur Seat St Thomas, as reflecting a deep love for God.
“Even when tragedy struck and we lost our brother in July, never once did she cry out . . . Nor did she blame Him [God] for her loss, but rather she thanked Him. She thanked Him for blessing her with her son. She thanked him for the 20 years of his life and then she cried,” Kareem said.
Before the hundreds at the church that included parliamentary representative for St Thomas Cynthia Forde, Kareem paused and looked away from his prepared speech on the verge of tears. It was at that point that Kyle leaned in to give him a hug.
“Our mother, was the first woman that we ever loved, even before we knew what love was. She was our warmth, whole world, our light in the darkness,” he continued.
Maxine’s best friend Lana Clarke said she was proud of her friend up until she died. She, too, had to be consoled as she paid her own tribute.
“When Romario died all of us hurt in our bellies, but Max felt it in most in her heart. That week she said she felt like she was going through labour again. I watched her at Romario’s funeral and she sang from her heart, not once did I see her cry, it hurt me but yet I felt proud,” Clarke said.
Like at Romario’s funeral, Pastor Herbert Kirton delivered the sermon, but this time his message was to “be strong in God”.
“You could be strong in your bank account, you could be strong with your insurance policy, and you could be strong in your marriage . . . But there is a greater strength that you have within you to be strong in the Lord,” she said.
He too remembered the deceased for her peacefulness and attributed it to her love for God. (TSG)
