Comments on: Growing up

By: annegb

annegb — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 15:51:33 +0000

How lovely, Melanie! I believe that the bedside of the fading elderly is a sacred place, the veil very thin.

By: Barb

Barb — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:18:23 +0000

Very tender! I think that this life allows us to serve in ways not possible in the other estates as we can help each other with physical needs, cleaning homes, doing yard work, and other very practical things but yet so real so very, very real because we do them and make them so.

By: Alice (alliegator)

Alice (alliegator) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:27:14 +0000

My Grandmother was always thanking me for anything I did for her the last few years of her life, like she was sorry that I HAD to do them. She was so used to taking care of everyone else that it was hard for her to let other people take care of her.

Then it got to the point where she didn’t have a choice.

I always told her it was my privilege to give a little back to her, for all the things she had given me my whole life.

Spending time along during the last snips of a person-you-love’s life is a sweet blessing. It was for me.

By: kristine N

kristine N — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 22:40:01 +0000

Thank you for sharing such a tender remembrance.

By: mfranti

mfranti — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 22:39:03 +0000

Thanks to all for the kind words.

By: jjohnsen

jjohnsen — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 04:10:08 +0000

Very nice mfranti.

By: Risa

Risa — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 03:04:33 +0000

I had similar moments with my mother as I watched her body being eaten alive by pancreatic cancer. Her last day on earth I laid in bed with her, held her hand, and sang Les Mis songs to her. She was beyond eating or drinking at that point. My sister and I dressed her for the funeral. It was one of the most sacred experiences of my life. My Dad commented that he was grateful he had “adult children.” Really, all I wanted to do was curl in a little ball, sob, and whine for my Mommy. I think those experiences of helping my mother transition from this life to the next made me a grow up in a way that having 2 children previously never had.

By: ZD Eve

ZD Eve — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:30:48 +0000

Great stuff, mfranti.

By: ErinAnn

ErinAnn — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 23:30:48 +0000

I started to write the whole story, but the short of it is this: My grandma spent her final weeks in the care (and home) of my mother. When I was visiting I helped her by grooming her on one of her better days, including brushing her hair and teeth. When I was done she smiled at me.

A couple of weeks later I again got to do her hair and dress her before she was placed in her casket.

There were a lot of moments that we expected to have with Grandma but we didn’t get. Thanks for reminding me of some of the best and most tender moments I’ve ever experienced.

By: Chad Too

Chad Too — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:33:44 +0000

Absolutely beautiful. Just what I needed this weekend.