Mother’s Day 4a Miracle of Love
In the midst of sorrow, sometimes there are bursts of joy. Don't miss them! This glorious event came several months after my mother died on Mother's Day 1995: On what would have been my mother's 89th birthday, four months and six days after she died, I had planned an exceptionally busy day–a presentation at 9:00 […]
Mother’s Day4 Last Words
What are the last words your mother said to you? What would you like them to be? I did not know these would be the last words, but I hold them close. Last Words I didn’t mean to cry— I promised not to cry— But as I held her hand and watched her try so […]
Mother’s Day3 Forget About Death and Dying
What do we do while someone is dying? How do we pass the days? As I fixed meatloaf and baked potatoes for Mother's Day dinner, I remembered one such day during my mother's dying. And four of us present that day were together yesterday. On Dividing the Jewelry The afternoon sun filtered through the sheer […]
Mother’s Day2 Farewell
One day, while caring for my mother, the reality of her dying hit me hard. I walked home, weeping, shut myself in my office, and penned my farewell to her: Farewell, Beloved Mother What can I say to you, beloved mother, as you embark on your last journey? What can I say to you, beautiful […]
Mother’s Day0
Do you like Mother's Day? Is it a commercial holiday? Is everyone bound to be disappointed? How do you deal if your mother is dead? My mother died on Mother's Day 1995. I Never Much Liked Mother’s Day I never much liked Mother’s Day— expectations high, reality never quite measuring up. One year I brought […]
Mother’s Day1 – Ambivalence
Do you feel ambivalence surrounding Mother's Day? Is it a sad day or a celebration? My beloved mother died of lung cancer (never smoked a day in her life) on Mother's Day 1995. I wrote The Last Violet: Mourning My Mother, Moving Beyond Regret while she was in hospice and afterward. The story explores our […]