The Season of Grief

 Late November through early January is my Season of Grief. In 2009, which is so long ago, my Dad passed away from cardiac arrest on January 5. He had suffered from diabetes for the last decade of his life. Mom took such good care of him. 

In 2017, my Mom had a stroke in April. I moved home to be her primary caregiver. She had multiple UTIs before eventually passing away in hospice care at The Laurels in Massillon. The day after Thanksgiving in 2017,  she was admitted to the hospital for the final time with a UTI. She was unconscious for several days until her doctor recommended she go into hospice because nothing more could be done. She was semi-conscious the next morning, which was her first on morphine. She said "I love you" to her brother and gave me lots of kisses. 

Mom eventually passed away on Friday, December 8th at 6:30. Her funeral was on the 14th. 

So, Mom's slow decline and then Dad's passing are bookends of grief over the holidays. 

It is sad that I think of it this way because Mom loved Christmas so much. She loved decorating. Mom and Dad gave me and my brother such great Christmases. Nothing will top Christmas with Mom and Dad. Nothing will get over Christmas without them either.

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