Lifetime Loss
I lost my mother last week to Alzheimer's disease. We were wonderful friends and she was a delightful parent and support to me throughout the years. I will miss her very much. During the services, I was brought back to many childhood memories and experiences that I alone shared with her. In Judith Viorst's poem book, "If I Were in Charge of the World," her poem SUMMER's END says,
"One by one the petals drop.
There's nothing that can make them stop.
You cannot beg a rose to stay.
Why does it have to be that way?"
I take comfort in the fact that I had this wonderful person in my life for 53 years. I wish it was much longer, but I feel lucky to have shared that valuable time. She was a great early childhood proponent, even before it was popular.
posted by John Funk @ Permalink8:47 AM
1 Comments:
Dear Mr. Funk:
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your mother, especially that progressive loss. The loss of my parents==my first teachers and teachers to the end, is an ongoing grief, though quieter now after a number of years.
That lifetime of experience and love that they shared through the good times and bad is a legacy, one that you are passing on, in turn, through your work and family.
I wish to have my mother, and her wisdom, at times. But, it's her as she was before the suffering set in. I'd never want that again for her. So I'm thankful now to sometimes hear her voice coming back to me with barely remembered advice when I need it and grateful to God for her.
What a blessing, a bittersweet blessing at the end, is a life lived with love.
Peace to you and your family,
Sarah Hester (from AuntyB and Grandmama)
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