Sadly she finally fell short of the telegram from the Queen.
It came quickly, painlessly, peacefully. Mum passed away on Sunday 19th August after struggling with her cancer for only a couple of months.
It was a shock, naturally, as we were guided down a particular chemotherapy route on the understanding it could give her a prolonged life expectancy, but as it turned out, that wasn't to be. We weren't prepared for that at all. Part of me thinks, despite the unbelievable courage she showed, at age 94, going through this, it just got to the stage where her body just couldn't take any more. The bucketloads of tablets and pain relief, the multiple weekly hospital visits. It is probably a blessed relief to her that this is over now, difficult as that is to reconcile in my mind.
I've experienced grief and the loss of a parent before, my Dad passed away in 1995. It's horrible and it never really goes away, just dissipates until photos are glimpsed or pertinent anniversary dates are reached. Then it floods back like a wave.
My emotions are still a bit raw at the moment, funeral arrangements and paperwork are being dealt with and I imagine once that's all over with the grief will set in. I know you have to remember the happy times, celebrate their life rather than mourn their death but it's easier said than done. I guess in this case my Mum lived 94 happy years whereas my Dad was taken way too soon at 69 years old. Some consolation I guess. Both of them were taken without overly protracted suffering so that's another.
The grief is in the post. For now, I'm thankful for having had the most amazing, loving parents a son could ever have wished for.
