Soft Music and Some "D" Words
Living gratefully today, I appreciate the conversations I had with my sisters Ann and Aileen yesterday and the movie "Rocketman " that Darcy and I enjoyed last evening at our local theater.
I have soft music, Elton John songs, and some "d" words on my mind and heart this morning.
My brother-in-law Clay, my sister Mary Jo's husband, has been playing soft music for her. She likes it and it's calming. She also likes Van Morrison, Elton John, CCR and plenty of others. Ann lives near Jo and can visit a couple times a week. Aileen lives farther away from Jo than I do.
I appreciate Ann's first-hand accounts of her recent visits with Jo and Clay, and my sister Danita's as well. Aileen and I discussed how hard it is to be far away from our dying sister at this time. It brings a detachment that can be okay at times, but right now I would rather be able to participate in and be a witness to this very difficult and very profound time in Mary Jo's life.
Feeling a little detached, I dove into death and dying on a couple websites. What happens to a person in the last days and hours. How can that be for their caregivers. Changes and indications to look for and anticipate. I process by writing, so I wrote about some of the signs, the physical happenings, and I felt more attached again. Better for me to delve into these "d" words, tough as it can be, than to turn to the limiting and harmful "d" of denial.
On my run yesterday, I was thinking about how nature provides soft music too. Leaves rustling in the breeze. A river flowing gently through the trees. Birds singing.
Soft music in my head and heart can be harder to come by. Harsh thoughts and hindered feelings hold me back. Living gratefully opens me up, and brings a willingness to embrace whatever comes my way as the day unfolds.
I have soft music, Elton John songs, and some "d" words on my mind and heart this morning.
My brother-in-law Clay, my sister Mary Jo's husband, has been playing soft music for her. She likes it and it's calming. She also likes Van Morrison, Elton John, CCR and plenty of others. Ann lives near Jo and can visit a couple times a week. Aileen lives farther away from Jo than I do.
I appreciate Ann's first-hand accounts of her recent visits with Jo and Clay, and my sister Danita's as well. Aileen and I discussed how hard it is to be far away from our dying sister at this time. It brings a detachment that can be okay at times, but right now I would rather be able to participate in and be a witness to this very difficult and very profound time in Mary Jo's life.
Feeling a little detached, I dove into death and dying on a couple websites. What happens to a person in the last days and hours. How can that be for their caregivers. Changes and indications to look for and anticipate. I process by writing, so I wrote about some of the signs, the physical happenings, and I felt more attached again. Better for me to delve into these "d" words, tough as it can be, than to turn to the limiting and harmful "d" of denial.
On my run yesterday, I was thinking about how nature provides soft music too. Leaves rustling in the breeze. A river flowing gently through the trees. Birds singing.
Soft music in my head and heart can be harder to come by. Harsh thoughts and hindered feelings hold me back. Living gratefully opens me up, and brings a willingness to embrace whatever comes my way as the day unfolds.
Thinking about you and your family, Lisa. It's hard whether you are close by or far away. Regardless, I'm sure Mary Jo feels your love, and that is what matters most.
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