Wednesday, October 21, 2009

We are sad

Ottawa:

John's mom, Isabel Elliott, died this morning. We were at the hospital nearly all night, arriving home around 5am. She had pneumonia (the old person's friend, they tell me) and breathing was very difficult for her. I (daughter-in-law) suggested that it might be a kindness to find a way to make her last hours easier. The doctors agreed, and shortly after that she was put on a ventilator. She must have known what was ahead so she called me over and told me what hymns she wanted sung at her funeral. My brain kicked into overdrive and for the first time in a long time, I remembered every word she told me. 

Before the doctors arrived, we hugged and kissed her, exchanged loving words, and then it was time. We had to leave the room and when we were allowed back in, we could no longer talk to her. Nevertheless, we stayed for hours. John and I, John's sister and her husband. We chatted quietly, or as quietly as some people know how to chat. 

The four of us left for home around 4:30. We were asleep before our heads hit the pillow.

The phone woke us around 6am. Isabel had left the building. 

I wrote down the hymns Isabel had said she wanted. 

We are sad. We are busy. I'll write more later.


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