A Day for Showing Respect for a Fine Lady

Hi Folks,

I was going to write about my progress with Bonnie's mystery and about my first quilt, but life has gotten in the way, so I am going to write a bit about my DH's DM (Dear Mother).

She passed away this morning after a very difficult 1 1/2 years of slowly deteriorating health after falling and breaking her hip and arm. We spent all day yesterday with her, most of her children and another DIL, and the hospice nurses in the nursing home. She was in a sort of coma, but the nurses said that she could probably hear us talking. So talk we did. Some to her, and a lot to each other. Lots of holding her hand and gently pushing her hair back. Someone said that she got to be at her own wake.

The nurses told us that all her signs indicated that the end was very near. They were so gentle and loving with her, such as when they moistened the inside of her mouth with a sponge applicator.

Barbara was a great lady who was kind to all who knew her. She accepted me into her family when I married her first born son. When my own first child was born she sent a family member pick up our dirty laundry and drop off yesterday's freshly washed each day. She understood that I was having a tough time and feeling completely overwhelmed.

We occasionally took trips together, her and my DH and kids. Even in close quarters we always got along. My sons Jeff and Ed adored their grandma, of course. She took my little Eddie for a week when his brother Jeff was born, and she took both boys (and our dog) for 10 days so DH and I could go to Hawaii one year.

She was very fond of our German Shepherd Dogs that I had (one at a time) over the years. Personally, I consider that the ultimate test of good character in a person if they like my dogs. After all, my dogs are wonderful, smart, kind-hearted, and fiercely loyal. If a person somehow cannot see any of those doggy virtues, there must be something wrong with THEM.

I remember when we were getting our house ready to sell about 20 years ago. Grandma was in there with us painting the floor trim. That was so typical of her, always there when you needed her.

We are going to miss her: Mother, Grandma, Helper and Moral Compass of our family.