Tripping through the holidays

One of the scary night places in my life right now is the fact that my mother has entered hospice. She's not going to be dying (I hope) in the immediate future, but the end of her life with us is too close for my comfort.

The snapshot to the left (and the one below) are of collages I did recently about my feelings and thoughts about this process.

I'm grateful I have company on this journey, especially the company of my siblings and my dad and three friends who have already been through the death of their parents.

Ultimate: This is the last "trip" my family of origin will take - both parents and all four kids - together. "Trip" is of course metaphorical, but seems ironically appropriate here.

As I bear witness to my mother's life and death

the joker in the middle is Parkinson's and all the things the medical & insurance industry can and can't do. Some days I feel like a little girl again, saying "Mommy don't go!" as she walks out the door to work. Other days I am grateful for her presence, and can truly say the prayer on the heart in the upper left hand corner, "Bless us O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive."