Some people struggle to choose between Alliance and Horde.
Some people struggle to choose between races.
Some people struggle to choose between classes.
Sometimes decisions are more difficult.
A week ago my family had to make a choice about my Mother’s future.
Let her continue on in a crippled body, half her brain dead, her organs not under her own control…
Or…
Let her go…
We made the decision to let her go. We know this was the right decision as no matter how much unfinished business she left, she was practical enough to have the hard conversations over the past few years.
Still, it was a hard decision, especially as she hung on for another week.
She left us on Saturday afternoon and we “plant” her (as Odin describes it) tomorrow. She won’t go alone, she will take Dad’s ashes with her, one of her final requests, one actually made 17 years ago.
Maybe Odin is right and we are planting Mum and something beautiful will grow (beyond the grass, the only thing allowed).
As much as the last couple of weeks have been hard, they have also been beautiful opportunity as well.
Most of her family (those still mobile enough) managed to spend some quality time with her.
She had her initial fall on Odin’s birthday, while she prepared to come to his party. While Odin didn’t notice on the day (there was way too much happening), he knew she hadn’t made it.
He has been amazing for a 3 year old, with us at the hospital for some portion of nearly every day.
He was rewarded for this on one occasion when daddy revealed his birthday present that Nanny was hiding under her hospital bed sheets. That was a beautiful moment, my son made me very proud as he thanked his dying grandmother profusely.
She was surrounded by her family in her last moments. She didn’t die alone, rather with the family that she fought so hard for over her 86 years.
Bye Mum!
Just make sure you have that big breakfast waiting for me when I catch up to you… You promised it, even if you couldn’t move, or truely tell me what an idiot I was at the time.
One day I will come to collect.
Until then…
Gnomer and Out!
Our prayers are with you.
^^this.
Planting reminded me of the practice in Xenocide by Orson Scott Card; trees would grow from the dead, giving them another life. I hope your son has something equally beautiful in his mind as he says planting and that you may as well.
Ohh yeah, he was hoping for a beautiful tree.. but he was also thinking of his Nanny living on.
He was a bit funny as she was lowered into the ground, but when we returned home he was very keen to point out how much better (and younger) she was looking in all the photos around the house…
Gnomer, thoughts and prayers are with you. There are no words to express.
All the Best Mate. Thinking of you.
Peace to you and your family. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and yours.
A lot of thoughts and many hugs to you and your family
Dear Gnomer,
What a gift to have the time you did to say goodbye to your Mother. My heart goes out to your family during this time.
Visis
It was a gift… she may not have been able to say much.. but at least we got to play 20 questions with her, and most of the family got to see her before the end
Wishing you and your family the love and strength, to get through this sad time, she sounds much loved and will live on in your hearts and memories
I would try to say something profound, but it would simply ring hollow. If I was good at that I could write for Hallmark instead of babble on a blog. I won’t even try.
Peace to you and yours.
Thinking of you. /huggles
/hug
Gnomer,
/salute…..I shall kill no gnomes in your honor today. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
What a beautiful post. All my prayers with you and your family.
… I’m going to call my mother today and tell her how much I love her.
Take care, Blue.
you and yours have been in my thoughts, too, gnomer. i think it’s wonderful that you all were together for her. i replied to your announcement in twitter with a gandalf quote, but i’ll add another: “i will not say ‘do not cry,’ because not all tears are an evil.”
it’s right, correct, and appropriate to grieve. please take your time in doing so. we, your readers, aren’t going anywhere.
You and your family have my sincerest condolences.
All good things,
Natalie
you’ll get that breakfast my friend have faith and God bless you and your family you’re in my prayers.
I am typically a lurker, but your post brought tears to my eyes and I wanted you to know that my thoughts are with you. I do not look forward to the day when I have to face the same. Thank goodness for your little one, who I think is your biggest healing influence, sometimes they can completely amaze you
Hey Katiyana,
thanks for coming out of the shadows…
What you have said about Odin being my biggest healing influence has been so true, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed without your thoughts
My deepest condolences.
Best wishes for your family. From death comes new life, a neverending circle that we cannot help but marvel at. All the best gnomey.
Gnome-
I got back from my long moving process, and as always, you were the first blog I came to.
I’m so sorry to hear about the sad time you and your family have gone through lately, but also glad that even in that sad time there have been points of light.
Thanks, as always.
What a difficult decision. I am sorry for your loss (and sorry I’ve been perpetually behind on my reader and thus am offering my condolences late, too).
*hugs*