“Baby doll”

I guess I did not know what really to expect.  The men from the funeral home came to the door.  It was real assuring because one of the men knew Mom and went to her church.  He walked into the room where she lay and sat down beside her.  He called her some cute name like “baby doll.”  I did not want to be in the room nor see her as she was being taken away.  They asked Jamie and me verbally if she was to be embalmed; we said yes.  He asked if Mom had any undergarments.  We packed her things and gave them to him.  I saw her on the folded up bed.  They had a sheet covering up her body to her chest.  They brought by a guestbook, a stand to put it on, and a chest full of ice.

The next few hours were a whirlwind.  Countless people came by and visited, several brought food.  That night was difficult.  I slept in the same bed I had the night before, in the room where she passed away.  She did not want to die at home because she did not want us to remember her house as where she passed away.  Mom wanted to pass away at the Hospice facility in Brunswick.  The facility did not have any open beds though.  As I slept, I woke up a few times during the night and looked up to the bed where she had slept.  All that was there was a stuffed bunny she loved.  It had a Valentine’s balloon tied to it.

U  Where does your loved one want to be when they pass away?  (It doesn’t bother me that she died at home.)  U

U  If you live out of town and are unable to send a meal, have you thought about sending the family a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant?  U