It’s strange thinking back to a year ago when Mom was at the end of her life. Flashbacks include Chloe crying at Waterford as she said her good byes before leaving for Dublin, Hope spoon-feeding Mom, and then the hospice nurse saying that the time was short, but we weren’t sure. I remember the 1 AM phone call and how I somehow drove the dark M-6 to meet the Hospice Team. ” Would you like her to be bathed in lavender?” they asked.
And then… my father’s reaction. I was so glad that I was the one to tell him rather than the nurses, but his deep cries and pain will never be forgotten. He always tells us that he doesn’t remember any of it. He was in shock and denial.
What do people do on the anniversary of someone’s passing? Do they visit the cemetery plot? Do they have a special meal in memory?
I have been trying to think of something and all I can think about is how my mother always told me to write a book. While in MI, I created a children’s book titled Smitten with the Mitten. It’s a good way to reflect and remember.
A Journey Worth Remembering 
Our family has an annual picnic as a Memorial of my brother and mom. Both of their birthdays were in mid September. So we typically have it then. The Tippecanoe County Commissioners planted a tree in honor of my brother at the Battle Field Memorial Park. We have a family picture taken each year by the tree or the park bench they put his name on.
LikeLiked by 1 person