Hug Your Family and Friends
Not sure if this is the right place for this. I apologize if it isn't.
Around 1 a.m. this morning (Saturday), the elderly mother of a close friend of mine suddenly became ill. My friend, who like me lives with and cares for her mom, was sitting on the couch watching television with her. Her mom suddenly said she had a headache, and very quickly after that started vomiting uncontrollably. 911 was called, and she was rushed to the ER by ambulance.
The ER doctors quickly ran scans and determined that my friend's mom has a large brain bleed. The ER doctors did not believe anything could be done, but they waited for the neurosurgeon to examine her. Unfortunately, it appears the location of the bleed means this is not going to be curable. Her mom is on a ventilator, and they are preparing to say goodbye.
I'm many states away from my friend, and I am beyond heartbroken. My personality is that I want to fix things, and this is something I cannot fix. I was up all night and this morning so I could get updates and talk to her when she was able. She has finally gone home to shower and try to get a few hours of sleep. She will have some very hard weeks ahead of her as she looks around their home and doesn't see her mom. It's a thought I've had myself as my own mom ages and her memory fades.
Most of us have dealt with loss of some sort, as it is an inevitable part of life. My dad passed away in January 2024. He was not a good man and hurt me a lot when I was a kid. He eventually left our family. I carried a lot of anger toward him over the years. Carrying that grief hurt me. Around 2013, I made the decision, for myself if nothing else, to forgive him. Just prior to COVID, I wrote him a long letter and explained that I had forgiven him. I had hoped my dad would write me back or reach out some other way, but he didn't. I do know he got and read my letter. I'm glad I told him I forgave him, or else who knows how messed up with grief I would be now that he is gone.
Last Sunday was Mother's Day. Some of you have lost your mom. Some of you have no relationship with your mom, and for some, that relationship is strained. Some of you have a good relationship with your mom but stay busy and don't talk to or see her often. My friend had her last Mother's Day lunch with her mom last Sunday. It was nothing fancy, just a trip to Dairy Queen because that's what her mom wanted. That lunch was not fancy, but I promise you, in my friend's mind it is now priceless.
Stop whatever you are doing. Call and tell someone you haven't spoken to in a while, or don't see often, that you love them. Hug your parents, hug your kids, hug your friends. Life is short. We are in this together, even when we disagree. 🤗
mattva
·4 months agoI'm currently the caregiver for my mother who has dementia and there's nowhere I'd rather be then with her because she was always there for me.
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoThings like that can happen fast.
Seen a friend a couple months ago and she was good and healthy and a couple days later, she had a stroke, then she died a couple days after that of a heart attack.