My mother passed away on Friday. I feel sad but also happy and at peace. You see, she has been terribly ill for a very long time and we who loved her have watched her decline in an anxious miasma of sadness and helplessness. The thought that continues to reverberate through my brain is that she isn’t hurting anymore. For the first time in a very long time, her life is not defined by pain.
It has made me think a great deal about the nature of pain (great and small) and what we choose to endure. My mother often talked about her reasons for fighting to stay in this life, despite the pain. She was quite clear on that. And I wonder, what does it take to have that clarity regarding other choices in our lives? What helps us to decide that this is an acceptable situation and that is not?
I am proud of my mother for the fight she put up and for her strength to stop fighting when she chose her time. I miss her. She will always be a part of me and I am glad to carry those lessons in my heart and my life. I am happy that she knew, always, not just at the end, how much she means to me and how much I love her. How fortunate I am. That’s a thought to remember and makes the pain of her loss somehow less.
For those of you have expressed your condolences, thank you.
Tags: Authenticity, Change, Family, Self-Clarity