A moment of silence here on my blog, in memory of the passing today around 5 this afternoon of the aunt of a young woman dear to my heart. She finally succumbed to cancer after a valiant fight. As is the case with this disease, the end was particularly hard and undignified, and there was a lot of drama around it all by all the family.
My young friend had been taking care of her these past 2 months, and had gotten to do a lot of mending fences and being there for her family. What a blessing. So many of us never get the chance to suit up and show up for the families we have abused all the years of our using. I truly believe that there are a lot of important lessons to learn when dealing with a situation like this...caring for the terminally ill. It can be painful and it can be a relief. And the mixed emotions in us over it all can be guilt filled or they can be honored.
I have buried 2 parents, 5 grandparents, 5 uncles, 1 aunt, and 2 cousins over the years. The most recent was this year past. The earliest was 45 years ago. The circle of life goes on.... acceptance of this fact has helped me a great deal.
So...Adieu, Aunt Ruth...and we bid you a happy journey on this next great adventure...sparkling among the stars.
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Spent a chunk of the day in the big city. The traffic wasn't bad, got a great parking spot in the parking garage, and the appointment was quite timely. Got to be there w/ my friend and meet the new doctor and it was a positive day altogether. Hurrah!
Started the day with a wonderful juice made in the new (to me) juicer...carrot, lemon, celery, apple and strawberry and cabbage. It tasted wonderful and I could feel the zing in my cells from all the nutrition. Drank another cup or so of it after getting home tonight from the city. Yum! For supper (vegetarian night) I made a soup with aduki beans and sweet potatoes, celery, ginger, onion, cabbage, garlic, miso and peanut sauce. It was grand! Served over rice, it was comfort food at it's finest. Aduki beans are one of my favorites...high in fiber and protein, they cook relatively quickly and hold up well. The leftovers will be even better! All in all, it was a good food day. The weather was brutally cold today, with wind chill factors in the single digits. When the Irishman got home from work he was so ready for some good filling soup...he worked outside a good part of today.
Had several phone calls tonight from women undergoing one crisis or another. Made me grateful for my life, with all it's ups and downs.
I'm off to dance among the Milky Way....and I'll leave you with this lovely quote from John Wesley:
Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can.
-John Wesley
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can.
-John Wesley
6 comments:
So long, Aunt Ruth. No more suffering, ain't it GREAT? And now you are ahead of us all, being in that place...I figure it has GOT to be a place.
And bless you, Annie K.
PEACE
Adieu indeed. I rarely see an easy death, or an easy birth, for that matter. But we all get through. Family stuff intensifies in these times. And the opportunities for healing come on strong. Great that you noticed them, and your friend took them. Hugs. (())
God speed aunt ruth!
I love the wesley quote and am so grateful that you continue to share these experiences!
Hope, Courage, Strength!!!
You really are an Elegant Blessing Annie! Just as your experiences are!
It is a journey that we will all take some day, and it is my hope that it can be experienced as part of life, and not too much suffering. My mother's passing was very peaceful... it gave me hope for my own to be that way too.
You have a healthy attitude about death having its place in this life. I envision your friend with her aunt and the rest of their family. The fact that she had the opportunity to mend fences will help ease her sorrow. The juice you made sounds great. The John Wesley quote is timely. Thanks for this great post.
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