Good Bye Momma

The last five months have been dedicated to taking care of my Mother, Helen.  John and I brought her home to live with us with the care of Hospice.

  Drs. gave her 6-8 weeks to live following 30 days in the hospital with not much improvement.  I stayed nights with her in the hospital and my siblings rotated during the day.

My Mom lived five whole months after she came to stay with us.  I like to think that it is was a combination of her courage and the love and attention we gave her every day.  She was so sick, yet every day no matter what, she got up and insisted on getting dressed and out of bed.

She had fortitude and gratitude and never ever complained or whined about anything.  She did complain a few times about what I was serving for dinner. HA  I am so glad she did.  Often we ran to fast food joints or restaurants for something she was craving that moment.  We didn't care.  Time was short. She deserved to be pampered.

 Here I am with two of our daughters and five of 6 granddaughters---she has 8 children, 16 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.  Everyone is alive and well.  We are so blessed. Mom's summer was spent with our kids/kidlets staying for days and weeks and running in and out giving her hugs and attention and receiving hugs and attention in return.  She regaled them with her stories of her youth and life with the great grandpa they never got to know.  My siblings and their families and cousins showed up constantly.

One neighbor said'  That is not fair to your Mom she is sick and you are tired.'  Neither my Mom nor myself saw it that way.  She deserved to be surrounded by her family and she rejoiced in it.  We were all making memories to hold in our heart forever.

Here are five of my siblings  two brothers are missing.

This is Mom with some of her kids grands great grands nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews at our last family reunion in July. This was her very best day. She raved for weeks how wonderful it was to see everyone.  She was the baby of nine children and my father was the baby of ten.  Mom was the very last one of her generation.

Our hearts are filled with such sorrow but also with love and admiration for this beautiful woman.

We celebrated her life and put her to rest a few weeks ago.  Such a difficult thing to do but we made it as loving and beautiful as possible.

John and I left a week later and are now resting and recuperating and grieving for a month in her(our shared with siblings) condo in Hawaii.  She is at every turn and her condo is filled with constant reminders of her presence and her long life here every year for half the year.  Walking down the street in the village she lived in brings so many memories of our times spent her in the past.

I miss you Momma with all of my heart.  Mahalo