Saying good-bye

I am back in Paris after nearly three weeks in Florida, at my mom's bedside, until she died on April 3rd. I have debated on how to even write about that in a "Paris blog", but it is an event that is a definite part of my life, so I will say a few words.....then get back to the before and after in Paris in the next blog.

My son did make it.......and also was at her bedside for four days holding her hand, praying and singing to her (he wished he had brought his guitar). She couldn't open her eyes by then, but we could tell she was listening. My sisters Cindy and Wendy and I would take shifts being there, but Nathan and Wes often stayed the whole day.....

She was a strong lady.....held on through both visits of Cindy and Nathan from Minnesota, but slipped away quietly during the night, freed from the pain and suffering she had endured for the past 9 months.

Mom's wishes were to be cremated and buried in the National Cemetery in Sarasota, near where they have lived. This is a new cemetery that just opened in January, so it was rather sparse out there in the middle of the palm trees and fields, yet peaceful. We had a small service with friends and families that could make it (including Lyle from Paris), and their past0r, but we also plan on a memorial service this summer in Minnesota.

I will deeply miss our special times of morning coffee and a sweet roll, lunches, Saturday phonecalls, and the visits to Florida or at our house. It was always hard to have her and Wes live far away during the past 10 years or so, but we have so many wonderful memories of the visits there, as well as their places on the lake in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In the coming days and months, I will treasure those memories and rejoice that she is healed now.