Over the last month, we have watched my mother slip away day by day. She suffered long and fought hard against the emphysema that took away her ability to breathe easily. Quietly, she passed away on Friday afternoon. A gift, a hard gift, but a true gift from a loving and knowing God.
Offering thanks today for...
- caregivers with deep faith and compassionate hearts
- nurses on the last two shifts of Mom's life with the same name as my own... all she had to do was call my name and someone would be there... God in the tiny details
- being with her in all the days and in those last hours, holding her hand, stroking her hair
- strength not my own in moments not imagined
- husband and children and friends, wrapping their arms around me
- peace that passes all understanding, keeping my heart and mind safe
- such exhaustion that deep sleep comes
- laughter and wisecracks from Mom during the hardest moments
- photos found, moments relived with joy
- the word, "Sweet," used over and over again during the last six weeks by everyone to describe my mother
Edith
1941 - 2011
