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Pennies From Heaven
Dealing with grief and loss
It’s so hard looking back over the past year. On Mother’s Day of 2024, my mom was put into a group home for dementia patients. At the time, she was still aware of what was going on a little bit, and it was so difficult to know how confused she must have been.
After a few months, it was clear the home that was chosen was not a good one, and she was moved to another. That one only lasted a couple of months as well. There were signs of abuse and neglect, and she was swiftly moved to the third home.
Throughout all this time, my dad was by her side every single day. He woke up planning his day to visit my mom. He would make batches of desserts for her, the other patients and the staff. My sister was also able to go visit her a couple of times a week, and be there for my dad to help him with whatever he needed.
Me? I was all the way across the country. It was so hard to get the phone calls letting me know how she was declining. It tore my heart apart to hear about her falling, or about her continued loss of everyday functions. It killed me knowing how much my father was hurting, and I couldn’t even give him a hug.
In March, I was able to fly back to California for a week-long visit. I went with my dad every day to visit my mom. We’d take her on little outings, but it…
