My mom battled and fought to standstill one of the deadliest neurological diseases on the planet for 21 years. Two examples of her character stand out. When I was a boy she took me to bookstores often. I was looking in the history section with her as a boy of about 7. A young employee there came up to us and said, "he (me) is a little too young for this section, take him to the children's section." My mom stood a little taller than her 5' 8" frame and looked the clerk straight in the eye and said, "my son will read whatever book he chooses to read. Thank you but we are staying here."
Another example of my mom's character is that when Teresa, the other of my mom's caregivers besides me, first came to work for her Teresa was embarrassed about speaking english to alot of people because spanish is her first language. My mom said to her, "don't worry about your english Teresa, when you need to talk to someone, you can always talk to me.'
My mom realized that dying with dignity does not mean accepting an inevitable fate. It means fighting for your life. We are all dying in some way or another, so its time to fight for your dignity.
My mom loved a poem by William Blake:
He who bends to himself a joy
Doth the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity's sunrise.
My mom will forever live in Eternity's sunrise and in my heart forever.
3 comments:
John, thank you for sharing this tribute to your mom. I love the story about her in the bookstore.
Jeanne, thank you and I am sorry I have not seen your comment until now. I was thinking of telling that story during the eulogy but time did not allow it.
Books, the thoughts within them even if she disagreed with them, were always essential to her father and thus to her. (and yes techies don't have a heart attack I mean e books as well!! :)
She, I am sure, has read this blog since she died and disagrees with most of it up in heaven but she would always defend my right to write it :) lol. Perhaps I have an inkling you have a somewhat similar stance hehe.
Well, I love argument as the soul of political freedom and so I never look for agreement. Some of my best arguments have been and no doubt will be with friends and loving aunts.
Your loving nephew, John :)
and Jeanne if you want to see a much better blog than this personal rant I have go to reidreport.com it is progressive (as they say :) and well done run by a friend of mine.
It even has a link to my blog God knows why she wants to promote my paleo'libertarianism!!! probably with the idea that sunlight is a disinfectant :) but check it out.
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