Live and Learn through Loss

There was just one year and one month between the two losses........dad, December 5 ,2009 -mom, January 22, 2010. The anniversary of dad's passing had began to make my stomach churn in the middle of the night. The wintry mix of rain and snow was a quick reminder of mom's pneumonia siege in November. Fear and uncertainty were battling daily for ownership and my body was the war zone. The innate knowledge of mom's death was soon going to be a reality. The thought overwhelming. Life without mom-unthinkable. I had experienced her laughter and spirit for almost fifty-five years. ....but I knew, I just knew that winter would not evolve into spring prior to mom seeing her God and me traveling through the stages of grief.
Then the process began.....a phone call from Hospice encouraging me to come for a longer than normal visit. I went, praying for strength and peace- leaving my daily responsibilities with friends, loved-ones and substitutes. I was blessed for five lovely weeks with my precious mother. Every second was a gift....a precious spiritual moment in time. Pushing the wheelchair to the dinning hall; gingerly picking up the spoon to assist in her feeding; combing her grey curls and watching her sleep were gifts of both learning and loving. It ended too soon for me, however mom had her own plans. She was ready to move on to another life leaving her legacy behind........a legacy of love, faith, hope, acceptance, gentleness and peace.