A personal thank you
to all you hospice nurses out there. Kudos and much thanks for the work you do, for making my moms last few days comfortable and pain free. I have to share this, because it brought a tear to my eye and a warm smile to my face, all at the same time.
With family around her bed and in the comfort of her home, we watched my mom gasping for breath tonight, even more desparate then yesterday. Even though she hadn't been conscious or lucid since Friday, my sister and I felt she was holding on to see our brother Peter. He couldn't get a flight ouf of Kauii until today, but she heard us talking about him trying to get an earlier connection. We just felt the old bird was going to do whatever she could to hold on to see him.
So in the end with what seemed minutes between breaths, the phone rings and it's my brother on the phone from the airport thousands of miles away. We put the phone to my moms ear and she opens her eyes briefly, smiles as he says goodbye to her and passes on.
It amazes me the power of will and the mind, even against all odds. Yesterday I sat with her and talked for the longest time, only to kiss her finally and say I have to leave and I love you. I thought the I love you too she struggled to give me after nothing was as good as it could get, tonight surpassed that a million fold.
It was a beautiful moment and a wonderful way to end a long life. She deserved it after fighting with pain for so long.
I love you mom.
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