I have competed well;
I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
It was three days before my mom passed away. Fatigue confined her to her bed now. Her daytime attire had changed from street clothes to a nightgown to a hospital gown within seventy-two hours. On this particular day, I arrived just as Ruth, her nurse, spooned tiny dollops of ice cream into my mom’s mouth. After giving me my “Hi, Mary” smile, my mom turned to Ruth to whisper, “Thank you for the ice cream.” Afterward, Ruth helped her to the washroom. As Ruth nestled my mom into the wheelchair, my mom whispered again, “Thank you for your help.” As Ruth freshened up my mom, Mom did her best to help. She held on tightly when Ruth wrapped her ebony arms around her to move her back into bed. As she left, my mom’s eyes followed Ruth to the door. Ruth turned to wave, and my mom smiled in gratitude. Later, the activity director came to see how my mom was doing. My mom met her with another of those grateful smiles.
In spite of her physical decline and her impending passing, my mother concerned herself with the people around her. She never complained and was always grateful for even the smallest kindness, whether or not it was part of ones job or ones duty to her dying parent.
Though all of her life, my mom remained a sign of God’s presence among us, it was the grace with which she lived her last days which touched me and taught me most.
Dear God, thank you for the gift of my mom and of all of the good souls who touch my life with your grace and love. Give me the courage to offer the same to those you give me to love.
©2014 Mary Penich – All Rights Reserved