Mum rested easy yesterday. Mike and Karen stayed with her while Kim accompanied me to make cremation arrangements at Nova. The good thing was that it was not too far away. What took off the edge was the fact that the person at Nova was sincere but slightly on the goofy side. In fact, once we were done Kim and I had a bit of a smirk in the car over the experience. I told Kim that not even Hollywood could cast that role if there was a movie version.
Yes, it does sound a little morbid… the fact that I went to make these arrangements. However, I am glad it is done. It will make things easier down the line and I wanted to do it in case I shut down when the time comes… and I wanted to get the paperwork accomplished while my mind is clear.
We got back home to breakfast burritos that Mike had gone out to get in our absence. The morning was beautiful as we sat around and ate on the front lawn. I also proposed to the those there that from this point on we would avoid telling Mum that it was OK “to cross over”. Mum never liked being told what to do (especially fom me) and always did what she wanted and when she wanted anyway. So, we will continue to keep her comfortable and just assure her that “things will be OK here.”
When Karen, Kim and Mike left to attend their own personal chores I sat with Mum for most of the afternoon and we listened to her favorite music. It was a compilation of songs that I had burned on cd in 2004 which she delighted in listening to over and over again.
Aileen came by to check on me followed by Kim to swap a shift with me. Randy made his daily visit to be with me and we shared a beer. At about 5 Hooi, (an old friend I’ve known from boy scout days) and Elaine, his wife arrived from LA to visit with Mum and me. Among the things we chatted about was the recent passing of Tog. After they left Kim shooed me off to take a short nap.
The evening brought Shookie, Aileen and Tony… all (among others) who have been constants this week. We worked to turn Mum to her other side. I also received calls from Katie, Joel and Bruce. Last night I spent with Mum in the house. Before I sat to write this post I informed her that I would still be close but needed to water the lawn and left her in the house with her favorite cd playing.
Now, to turn off the sprinklers and get back in to enjoy the music together. In the meantime… you can still share your Mum experiences and stories HERE.