Thursday, June 18th, a year ago today

Mom passed from this life into the next one year ago today. It was 9:05 a.m. and just like when other significant things happen in my life, I know exactly where I was at the time. Dad, Beryl and I had just spent the night sleeping right by her and listening to every breath as it was a loud groan. I was up every three hours to medicate her with pain meds, anxiety meds and Robinal to dry out her secretions.
At 8:30, the hospice aide came to bathe her and give us a break. Dad was in the recliner talking on the phone, Beryl was making last minute adjustments to the obituary and I was eating my breakfast. The aide came in the room at 9:05, gave me a bottom lip biting look, but couldn't say it. I thought maybe mom was sick again like the night before and she finally said, "no, I just turned her on her side and she's gone". We couldn't believe it. We weren't with her. She was a very dignified woman and I think she waited until we had left the room.
The rest of the day passed in a blur as we had loads of phone calls to make, deal with the arrangements, etc. This was taken 10 days before she died, with my cousin Rene. She took a turn for the worse about 2 hours after this picture was taken. We could no longer get her out of bed or feed her. She was mostly out of it from this point on.

I just can't believe a year has passed.