Grieving the Loss of My Mother
Grieving the loss of my mother isn't something I was fully prepared for. I guess we never are. Mom passed away last week after 93 very active years. My mom in Texas the week before she died.My mom had just held an all-family reunion. She and everyone there knew it would probably be the last time many people saw her. We just didn't know how quickly she would leave us.I left her just a few days before she died and I sensed she didn't have much time. On the flight home I read a poem about Sabbath and it seemed like it might be foreshadowing what was to come. It speaks of fall but it speaks of death in general. Following is the second half of the poem...
This seemed so appropriate after having just been at a reunion that was marked by a new generation of children.My mom died under almost ideal conditions. She lived a long life (93). She died in her sleep. She got to say good-bye to almost everyone important to her. She had a reunion and one last cross-country adventure weeks before she died. Any one of us would sign up for the way she left this world.Yet even under "ideal" conditions it's still a loss. I saw it coming but it still hurts. That's true of any loss. To the degree your life wraps around something, to that same degree it hurts when it's gone from your life. It must be so hard when people lose someone when it's anything less than ideal.There are times when I feel fine. I'm grateful for how things ended up. But in spite of that waves of sadness hit me unexpectedly. I'm sure that will be true for some time. I crave family now and friends. Just being with them helps the process.
I'm sure I'll have more thoughts in days to come. But I'm interested in how you may have grieved the loss of your mom or dad. Leave a comment below. Thanks.