The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down...
Title : The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down...
Link : The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down...
Then it all changed. My life was turned upside down.
I got a call from my sister that my mom had been rushed to the hospital one Tuesday evening in an ambulance. And seemingly out of the blue.
My mom and I spoke nearly everyday. Sometimes multiple times a day.
I would visit her regularly, cook, clean and keep her company.
In fact, I called her on this particular Tuesday and checked in to see how she was feeling before I left the house to see a client. She assured me she was doing fine.
I never heard from her again.
The details are still very cloudy to me.
But, my mom unexpectedly suffered a massive stroke and died from related complications, according to the hospital.
Talking about a world-changing moment....wow!
Words can not express the pain and loss I am feeling.
My mom was funny, fierce, fabulous and my friend. So much of who I am as a woman today was inspired, instilled and influenced by her. In fact, she's the reason I became a writer.
THE UPSIDE TO THIS TRAGEDY...
Even amid the dark days that followed her death, thankfully there was a proverbial "silver lining" to emerge in all this. During this very difficult time, as I navigate my way, I have been reminded of how truly blessed I am to have such fantastic friends across the country.
I am humbled, honored, touched and warmed by the outpouring of support and sympathy over the last few weeks.
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT COME TO MIND WORTH MENTIONING:
- A friend from Kentucky, who I met online years ago, offered to take over any of my creative projects and keep my blog updated so I could continue to grieve and come to terms with things (for as long as it reasonably takes).
- A poetry buddy gave me a check for $500.00 to assist my family with funeral expenses.
- A college buddy drove me around to handle burial arrangements, while waiting in her car for what seemed like an eternity. Never complaining.
- I have gotten an array of cards, calls and financial contributions from folks near and far.
- Even though I didn't expect my friends to come to the service (due to fears of the Corona Virus and related "stay at home" mandates), they came out anyway, to offer moral support and pay their last respects. In fact, when I arrived to the funeral service, some of my friends were there even before my family.
I can't tell you how much this means to me (and my family as well) during this difficult time.
In closing, I would like to share a poem I wrote for my mom. I read this at her funeral.
ODE TO ARABELLA
(In tribute to my mother)
We were
Debbie Reynolds
And
Carrie Fischer
Kind of close,
A bond
Uncommon
To most--
She was my biggest
Critic,
My most loyal
Fan,
My
Emotional
“Right hand,”
We spoke
Nearly everyday,
Laughing
Over silly
Girl’s stuff,
And troubles
Along life’s way,
Little did she know
For me
She was the equivalent
Of a
Super hero,
My role model,
ODE TO ARABELLA
(In tribute to my mother)
We were
Debbie Reynolds
And
Carrie Fischer
Kind of close,
A bond
Uncommon
To most--
She was my biggest
Critic,
My most loyal
Fan,
My
Emotional
“Right hand,”
We spoke
Nearly everyday,
Laughing
Over silly
Girl’s stuff,
And troubles
Along life’s way,
Little did she know
For me
She was the equivalent
Of a
Super hero,
My role model,
Though
Sometimes
My foe,
It still
Remains a mystery,
How she raised 5 kids
And kept her sanity,
Later down the road
Returning to college
Successfully,
To complete
A 4-year degree
Battling health challenges
Bravely,
Intermittently,
She was kind,
But never failed
To speak
Her mind,
No bigger inspiration
Could I ever find,
In this final chapter,
Through death
And living,
Her legacy
Is the gift
That keeps
On giving…
Thanks for reading.
B/T/W---If your mom is still living, be sure to give her a call and share your love. Tomorrow is not promised.
Last, but not least...
Please excuse any typos, formatting or grammatical errors. As you might imagine, I'm not fully recovered yet. :-)
Have a great weekend, folks.
Jen
Image credits:
Pixabay.com
The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down...
Enough news articles The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down... this time, hopefully can benefit for you all. Well, see you in other article postings.
The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down...
You are now reading the article The Up Side of Having my Life Turned Upside Down... with the link address https://randomfindtruth.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-up-side-of-having-my-life-turned.html
