What a beautiful tribute to your mommy. How wonderful you got to spend all that time with her. Many people - probably most people - never have that opportunity. She had to have been a wonderful mom - look at the amazing daughter she raised.

My thoughts are with you!

kathy

So sorry for your loss. However, it seems you and your mom lived life without regrets and cherished each day you shared. I wish you warm memories, and how sweet of you to think of your parents being together again!

For all of you who are estranged from your family or have not contacted them in some time, because you are busy, take this as a reminder not to put off until tomorrow...sometimes tomorrow never comes. Call your mom!

Jan

Tears for you but happy your wonderful mother is now in peace where she wants to be.
Strange how death is really only hard on those left behind. It's so special you had that time with both of your parents. It also says alot about you as a person but you already know how wonderful I think you are!!
Now that your mother is at peace, I'll turn my thoughts to your brother. Hopefully, this will be his last and final extremely SUCCESSFUL procedure. He's been thru enough.



********* THOUGHTS ON ESTRANGED FAMILY *******

As for Jan's comment on estranged family- LISTEN. Dennis is estranged from his family. Long story short, they tried to reconnect themselves this past summer at a time he was receptive but it didn't work (they are strange folk and were extrememly abusive as parents). NOW, I have to talk to his parents when they call me at work and update them. We've had no contact for about 7 years except my parents updating them annully in an xmas card. I'd have tossed it all when they blew what chance they had that I hoped would work but my mom helped me to see things thru a mother's eye. ALL FAMILY, from parent to child, , offender or offendee, work thru your differences. At this point, I'm probably going to be making an ugly phone call in the not far enough distant future. Life is too short.

Thanks so much to all of you. Yes, goodbyes are never easy but the memories remain and they are sweet, sweet memories with no regrets, and that helps so much.

Thinking back over mom's entire life I can think of not one person whom she had ought with ... not one person she had ill feelings toward or that had them toward her. That in and of itself is a testament as to the life she led... Making the most of each day she was given. My desire is to be 1/2 the woman she was.

You mentioned estranged family of which I have never experienced in my immediate family but have thru my spouse ... and I have seen the hurt it brings.

My only hope for anyone reading this is that you are able somewhere, sometime, somehow, to bury the past - the hurt, the grief and the loss you have felt and move into the freedom of forgiveness. I do not mean placing yourself in line for more hurt by a person who is cruel or rejecting but to just let go of what has happened in the past and leave it there - don't drag it into tomorrow, where there is hope of a brighter day. I really feel that hurt and anger hurts the one carrying, much more than the one it is aimed at.

So many times the things that bring distance in relationships are not the big things, but the little differences that cause irritation and we give up so much by holding on to those petty things that just don't matter.

I wish you all the best and my thanks to you all again for being there

Mom ...

momma.jpg (17 Kb, 20 downloads) Mom's Pic

Awwww, what a cutie! Thanks for putting a face to the lovely stories about her.

kathy