A Mother’s Words, a Son’s Treasure
By Ken Garfield
The power of a note, letter or postcard, written or typed, to remind us that we are not alone.
Lori Hawes and her son, Cody Mogensen. (Photo contributed by the family)
Cody Mogensen loved photography, the outdoors and Maggie, his Golden Retriever. He was 32 when he died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl-laced heroin in his mother’s bathroom in Charlotte, N.C. Over a morning cup of coffee in 2021, Cody and his mom, Lori Hawes, talked about putting down mulch in the backyard that afternoon.
Three years later, mustering the strength to go through Cody’s belongings, Lori and her daughter, Nikki, discovered the postcards that Lori sent him while he was in rehab.
There were 56, including this one: “Cody, I’ll always need my son no matter what age I am. My son has made me laugh…made me proud…made me cry…hugged me tight…seen me fall…cheered me up…kept me going strong…and driven me crazy at times! But, my son is a promise from God that I have a friend forever! I love & miss you, Mom.”
Lori launched Cody’s Crewto support residents in recovery from the disease of addiction. Cody’s Crew is currently working in three Charlotte rehab centers. Among its offerings: meals, monthly events like Game Night, and “Bags of Hope” filled with snacks, hygiene essentials and Narcan (medication that rapidly reverses the effect of opioid overdose).
One of the postcards Lori regularly sent to Cody in rehab. (Postcard contributed by the family)
Those “Bags of Hope” also include handwritten notes of encouragement. And because expressions of love and hope go both ways, Cody’s Crew hands out blank Hallmark cards and stamps at the holidays so residents can write to friends and loved ones. The nonprofit ministry gets the cards at Dollar Tree, two for $1.
Lori, 63, is one of the fortunate souls who has found a cause in which to pour her aching heart. To the grief-stricken among us – whether it is writing or receiving a note, letter or postcard, written or typed, or something else – may you find a light in your darkness.
“As difficult as it was to look through those postcards, they brought me comfort,” Lori wrote in an email. “Knowing that Cody saved every one of them reminds me how much they meant to him. Even when he was struggling, he held onto these reminders that he was loved and never forgotten.”
Ken Garfield, a friend of End in Mind, spent a decade covering faith and values for The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer. Now a freelance writer/editor, he helps people write obituaries.
