Thursday, July 21, 2011

Missing My Mom

This is a picture of one of my sweet sister's saying a last goodbye before leaving. The dust is settling (no pun intended) and all in the family are back in their own homes scattered here and there in different cities across North America.  


The turn my mother's  health would take towards the end of March was a surprise to her and to all of us.  She and our son had planned a road trip touring the Canadian Rockies.  She came up with the idea - He was still recovering from his health issues and she was going to enjoy being driven to see some of the land that she loved.  Relaxing, no stress ... It was not to be, she fell a few days before he was to fly there, and he decided to go instead to be with her in her recovery (no broken bones, thankfully) and perhaps take her on little day trips after her hospital stay was over.  The hospital stay was good, in that tests were done to understand more about her fall and a diagnosis made.  


Mom passed away July 8th.  Her journey this last three months was a hard one.  Seems so short a time looking back now, but it was long and hard for her.  Between my sisters and my step-sisters and brothers she was never alone.  Her doctor in the hospice unit said to me, "Dying is hard work for her and hard work for those attending to her."  It was.  For me it was a blessing to be with her the last weeks of her life and to be with her when she took her last breath.   


Ever a mother to the end the lessons she taught me will be treasured always until we meet again.