This post is a hard one- there are so many thoughts and feelings that I have about this particular post, but I have had trouble organizing my thoughts and I find it difficult to express my feelings. Some things are just too personal to share; however, I really didn’t want to skip anything, so this is my best attempt.
My mom passed away early March 3, 2011. Her passing has been a very bittersweet experience. While the heartache and grief has been paramount at times, I feel that this whole experience has been packed with blessings, which I am very grateful for. These blessings have been both colossal and acute, but if nothing else about her passing, I want to remember these blessings.
I was blessed to see the throngs of people that visited, wrote letters, cooked meals and offered other service as my mom struggled with stomach pain, a stroke, a seizure, and aggressive colon cancer that had spread. So many people shared with me their fondest memories of my mom and all the amazing things she had done for them at one time or another. It was inspiring to see how much of a difference she has made in the lives of others.
I am so grateful that I was able to visit my mom frequently during the last few months. Although I was finishing my MBA, taking care of a new baby, and holding a calling at church, none of this inhibited me from staying at my parent’s house for weeks at a time. I hardly remember having difficult school assignments during this time, my baby was amazing and would fall asleep easily in the middle of the hospital, and my calling at church didn’t require my attendance. In addition, I have a wonderful husband who would come and visit me on weekends. The time I spent with her before she died is full of memories that I will cherish forever. Even as I watched her peacefully pass away and in the days and weeks that followed, I felt immense comfort and calm.
While these are only a handful of the blessings that I saw and felt, all these blessings individually and collectively increased my faith and testimony in Jesus Christ and His gospel. I am so grateful for my eternal family; I know I will get to see my mom again someday. I am grateful for her example, and I am grateful for all the memories we had and for everything she taught me. She was a very special lady, and I am so grateful I got to be her daughter.
