GRIEF
My Mom Passed Unexpectedly this Week
And, of course, she left us with a story
We got the call Tuesday morning. Mom had passed overnight…very suddenly. She was 88. She had some health issues, but nothing imminently threatening. We thought we had three or four more years with her. At least.
As with every aspect of her life, even her death was a story. She would have laughed to hear us tell it with embellishment. She’d have added funny details. In a nutshell, she spilled shredded cheese on the floor, rolled the vacuum cleaner out, and then, something happened. She sat down in her recliner in reaction to whatever she felt and then passed immediately. She didn’t have time to activate her medical alert bracelet, which she’d done before for minor falls.
She died with the vacuum in her right hand…just the way we’d all want to go. (This would have made her laugh in her deep, hearty chuckle.) We always told her cheese would be the death of her. (She’d be tickled at that one, too.) Just more proof that housework is bad for you. (Oh, she’d love that one, and she’d agree wholeheartedly.)
Her birthday was just a few weeks ago. When I visited her that late afternoon, she was sitting with a friend in her apartment complex dining hall. I’d brought cupcakes for her to share with others. As I handed…
