valentine

Many thanks to all of you for your kind comments, sympathy and condolences on the recent loss of my mother. I appreciate all of you very much. Lainey, thank you for the lovely card, MsP, I cannot thank you enough for your beautiful poems and listening ear as I babbled on and on, Angela, for your expressions of sympathy and caring, Carmen, Aashish, and everyone else who offered kind words of sympathy, it was all appreciated. Forgive me if I didn't mention you by name as my memory fails me. Jim and I are back in our home now and are very glad to be here. I'm sure I will have intervals of great sadness, but my memories of my mom are quite pleasant. Her death was so sudden that I suspect we are all still in a bit of shock. My two sisters and my brother have been quite wonderful and our shared grief was quite comforting somehow. We all share the same respect, admiration and love for my mom and we are all feel quite blessed that she did not suffer a long and lingering illness. Her great fear was that she would suffer from Alzheimer's or some form of dementia or lose her independence. I am glad her fear was not realized. Mother was a vain, lovely and very special little lady. I'm glad too that her physical beauty did not fade with age. She was very lovely even in death. Thank you all again.

Lainey

As Granny would say, "we circle the wagons when needed". Glad you are back at home now.

MsPerky

I know we can all relate. Glad you made it home where you can rest and recuperate from a long, emotional week. Hugs...

DrCloud

Hold that thought close.

Claire works for the research dean in our college of nursing, and one topic they're interested in has to do with end-of-life issues. Their "best practices" model is for a (long and) healthy life with a rather abrupt crash at the end -- rather than a (possibly longer) slow decline. I saw this in action with my mother-in-law a few years ago, and I'm a convert: If I have any say over the matter, it's what I want to have happen to me. It's better for all involved.

And it sounds as if that's pretty much what happened here, even to the point of your having positive memories right up to her final hours to hold on to. Remember those, and be well. HPH

Matt_in_VA

Darlene and Jim,

We hope that the fond memories that you have of her will live on in your hearts and minds for the rest of your days.

Hugs & stuff,
Matt

dlq04

Thanks Val for the thoughtful posts.

MsPerky

Val told me the poem "God's Garden" is being read this Sun at her mother's church in remembrance of her. I got it 10 years ago at the funeral of an office mate's husband, who died at 52.

God's Garden

God looked around his garden
And saw an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth
And saw your tired face.
He put His arms around you
And lifted you to rest.
God's garden must be beautiful,
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering,
He knew you were in pain.
He knew that you would never
Get well on Earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough,
And the hills hard to climb.
So he closed your weary eyelids,
And whispered "Peace Be Thine."
It broke our hearts to lose you,
But you did not go alone.
For part of us went with you,
The day God called you home.

plantpixie

That poem is beautiful. Thanks for posting.

dlq04

This is the poem my mother gave to me to have read at her services. She past away in 2006.

“I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an after-glow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times And bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun
Of happy memories that I leave when my life is done.”

It is hard to believe but my dad past away 34 years ago today.

MsPerky

Nice one, Dave...wow, 34 years.