Loss & Acceptance

Me with Anita and my Dad at our wedding--just a little over a month ago.

My stepmom, Anita, passed away at 6:15pm yesterday evening. My Dad was with her as she took her last few breaths, and she had a very peaceful day and last few moments on earth, so we are grateful. We are grateful to have spent the time with her that we were able to spend, we are grateful to have learned from her, to have loved her, to have been touched by her in our lives, and for the fact that we were able to say goodbye a number of times over the past few weeks. She hung on for 10 days longer than any of us expected, and it was a very important time filled with lots of love, tears, and grieving.

Although there's no easy way to accept death, I think that it was really helpful for all of us to have time to process her leaving us--to be there with her in Hospice as her health quickly declined and to understand what was happening. I know that the loss will continue to hit us in waves, and that the holidays will be hard this year, but I also know that in time, we will all be able to accept what has happened and come to peace with it--and I think that is a gift that she gave us by sticking around a little longer and giving us time to come to terms with what was happening.

I'll be heading home this weekend to prepare for her Memorial Service, which will be on Tuesday, and to spend Thanksgiving at home. Thank you ALL for your sweet thoughts, notes, and condolences--it truly does mean a lot.

I may take a  couple of days off from blogging while I process all of this and spend time with my family (and am skipping SJOTW today, obviously), so please know that I haven't abandoned ship, just need some space to grieve. 

This is life, eh? The good, the bad, the devastating, the wonderful, and the crazy, all wrapped up into one. 

Namaste,
Mary Catherine