[at-l] My Mom's passing

[lpatton at mailer.fsu.edu (Linda Patton)]

No heavy hearts tonight, just joy for my Mom 
who's been trapped for years in a body with 
congestive heart failure and a mind with dementia.  
For the past week she had been telling folks at 
the nursing home that she wanted to say goodbye 
because she was leaving.  And then on Christmas 
Eve, she became unresponsive.  For about 48 hours,   
she was "somewhere else," breathing lightly but 
not struggling, not in pain, not gasping for     
breath.  I sat at her side most of yesterday and
today, watching the covers move lightly up and  
down over her chest, and then about 6:30 this 
evening they stopped moving and she had just 
slipped easily away--gone back to God.  Her death 
was so miraculously peaceful that I believe she 
had to have been an angel in disguise all this time, 
and was just flying home again.  I looked up and 
told her she could come back as an owl and hoot 
outside my bedroom window at night any time 
she wanted to and I'd know it was her.  I'll let 
y'all know if she flies in.
	~~ eArThworm