Today (January 26, 2010) at 1:25 pm, our loving momma left on a journey that she could only take with Jesus. She left this world and is now safe, whole and healed with a clear mind and perfect body. The angels are rejoicing at her arrival and she is dancing and singing with my dad and sister who have been waiting for her for several years now.
It is a hard thing to release your parents to leave you when your whole heart wants to say, "Noooooo, stay with me!!!" But after 84 years of a wonderful life, she was ready to go home.
Momma has had Dementia and Alzheimers for about 5-6 years. She has been in advanced stages for 2-3 years. My sister, brother-in-law and I cared for her in our home until last February when we could no longer do it. We realized we could not keep her safe or make her happy in our environment. So we (my sisters Bev and Belinda) made the agonizing decision to place her in a facility where they specialized in Dementia and Alzheimer care. She was happy there and well cared for.
About a week and a half ago, we received a call from the staff there stating that mom was acting differently. 10 days ago, we received a call they were taking her to the hospital beacause they suspected she may have had some small strokes. The ER Dr's kept her there overnight and she returned to her home. But she quickly got worse and within a few short days, she would be leaving us.
Fortunately for us mom was very specific about how she wanted things to go at the end of her life. She asked me to be her Power of Attorney before she got Dementia and she made her wishes known about all the what if's. I have to say, even though I knew she wanted nothing done, no heroics, no tubes, no life support,...It takes every ounce of faith and obediance to not say, "Do whatever you can to save her!" After feeling so helpless the last few years in not being able to do anything for momma because of this horrible disease, We were confident that carrying out her wishes was the right thing to do.
It was the Grace of God that she passed when she did today. My sister and I had an awesome opportunity to wash her face and hands, annoint her and help prepare her for her arrival to heaven. I felt such a release and peace knowing she was there and not here anymore. I will miss my mom terribly, as I do my dad and sister, but I praise God and rejoice in the knowledge that I will see her again someday and she will be rejoicing with the angels at my arrival! I am so blessed to have been able to help prepare her for her journey. And I understand now that she had to take this journey without us, but I have comfort in the fact that she was not alone, she was with Jesus and is in His presence forever!
I know the bible says we are to honor our parents and I have to say I was the one that was honored today! I am honored to have been raised by a wonderful, loving, caring, kind and beautiful mother and I pray that the legacy I leave behind will also honor her. There's a song by Randy Travis that says, "It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you, It's what you leave behind you when you go." Momma left a legacy of Grace, Strength and Love behind for us to carry on.
We are gonna miss you momma. Give dad and Barbara a hug and kiss for us too, and we will see you when we get there!
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