December Funeral
What Remains
Photo By: Pixabay/geralt
I share this morning's meditation because I know many of you are living through a similar moment. Or have in the past. Or will in the future.
I am thinking of Mom this morning and of her long, slow experience of losing her many gifts and talents to dementia. Some of us lose everything instantly when death surprises us, as it sometimes does. For others, like Mom, it happens incrementally as physical strength, mental health, material possessions, and access to faraway family all disappear bit by bit. She will still attempt to make the Sign of the Cross if I lead her, but I am not sure how much she remembers of God.
I guess in the end what remains are the love and memories others hold of her. We will remember, as long as we can. The good she has done will continue in ways we may not see in the generations and years to come.
In the end, what matters most is that God remembers Mom, whether or not she remembers Him. He is gathering her to Himself one day at a time.
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About the Author
I grew up in Yakima, Washington and attended St. Joseph Grade School and St. Joseph Academy, going on to Gonzaga University as a National Merit Scholar. In my 40's, I went to Washington State University and earned a master's degree in English. I am a wife, mother, grandmother of five and have worked as a teacher and geriatric care manager. I take care of my 89 year old mother, who lives independently in an apartment near our home.
