Today is my mother's 98 birthday. It is a great milestone but a very sad one at the same time. Mom is in the state of advanced dementia, does not recognize us most of the time - me, never - occasionally Kate or Karen, sometimes, Jack - although those episodes of recognition are getting less frequent and more volatile. The woman who sits each day in a wheelchair and is spoon fed by an aide, bears little resemblance to the proud and dignified woman who was my mother. It is overwhelmingly painful to see her like this and I know, we all know, that it is not the way she would want her life to be. Mom never feared death and always had a deep and abiding faith. She is having her purgatory on earth and I am sure when the Lord calls, she will go straight through the Gates. Her faith sustained her through everything in life - and when all else had become scrambled in her mind, she still recognized the Eucharistic Minister and knew that she was about to receive Jesus - she blessed herself and after receiving a small bit of the Eucharist, bowed her head in prayer and then blessed herself again. It was amazing to witness. She also recognizes her rosary beads - she will hold them and they quiet her but she seems to have lost the words. So, today is a day for celebrating the past and remembering the old days for her. I hope those of you who knew my mother will join me and think of my mother and all she did to help those who needed it; her understanding of the human condition and her unfailing generosity to any and all who were down on their luck. Her life was not easy but she did what she could to make it easier for others.
Happy Birthday!
Believe! Hope!
As always, love from me to you.
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