Tag: death

So this is what’s happening with me.

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I wanted to text my friends to let them know my drama cause I know it’s unhealthy to just bottle shit up and die. 

I also wanted to send my brother in law and sister in law a very abridged version so everyone can keep my mother in law from asking me about it. 

Then I thought, I’ll just post my trauma! Link the friends and cut it down for the in laws.  I’m so smart!

First we gotta background this shit. 

So like two years ago (maybe less?) my dad almost died from an infected ball hair.  He’s super diabetic cause he doesn’t take care of himself.  And then when his doctor was like, “you a diabetic.” He literally told us all “you’re not really a diabetic until you’re on insulin.” So naturally, he ended up needing insulin.  But he still never took care of himself.  And diabetics don’t handle infections well.  So he ends up hospitalized for an unknown infection.  It took days to find because I guess no one looked at his balls.  Which, fair,  makes sense, really. 

Anyway, he almost died.  And my family was insistent that someone needed to be with him 24 hours a day.  So shifts were arranged via group texts. 

I live 90 miles away with a full time job.   Not to mention I don’t even like that bastard, so I’m not taking a shift. 

Then after, I think, 2 months in the hospital he was sent to a super posh rehab.  Like live music in the cafeteria and golf having rehab.  But apparently, he needed multiple visitors per day because he thinks we’ve abandoned him.

Did I mention I hate this bastard?

So for months, I’m getting multiple texts PER DAY making arrangements to baby him (his dogs even visited every day).  And my mental health is suffering and I’m just becoming enraged at the lengths everyone has to go through for this son of a bitch. 

So I vent to my brother’s wife.  She tells me, they (my siblings) fully expect me to help so if I’m not going to, I need to let them know and to be asked to be removed from the chats.  That’s reasonable. 

NOTE: While venting about this my brother yells at me that SOMEONE’S IN THE HOSPITAL!  Keep that in mind for later. 

So that’s when my family disowned me.  It was very hard but I accepted this was the price of mental health.  Later, I made up with my brother because I like him.  He was more chill once things settled down.  Also, he’s hosted the last two Thanksgiving’s and I’m the only one in my family who showed up.  Well, one sister was at the last one.  But considering they live within sight of his house on the same block, fuck that. 

So now we’re up to this year.  My father still won’t take care of his health.  He won’t do stretches or try to be more mobile. So he can’t put on socks.  So he just wears his old shoes without socks.  And gets a blister.  His girlfriend notices it when she’s taking care of him and cleans it up.  Then goes to work.  Comes back the next day and it’s clearly red.  Yep, infection.  So he goes to the hospital.  Infection went to the bone so they amputated half his foot. 

Now remember how I said note my brother’s anger at me bowing out last time?  Well my brother’s family wouldn’t be involved this time.  They haven’t seen him in over a year because he disowned THEM.  Yep.  Even though they took care of him when he was dying.  And my brother’s wife is venting about how angry my sister is that they aren’t helping and I was just like “welcome to my side.  The side of the evil assholes.” You give everything and it’s not going to be good enough.  This man won’t even talk to MY NEPHEWS. 

Ok, you are mostly caught up. 

Last month, so less than a month ago, husband and I go down there for my nephews highschool graduation.  My sister and dads girlfriend are the only ones taking care of him because literally everyone else on earth hates him.  You see any friends?  I don’t. 

Sister says he’s doing really bad mentally so I begrudgingly go by to say hello.  He was very weak and frail.  Can’t get up or down by himself.  They have to take him to the toilet.  Really nursing home territory, but you tell my miserable sister that.  Anyway we did our due diligence.  Which oddly enough, means we had seen him more recently than my bro or my other sister. 

Semi relevant – last week was OTHER sisters birthday.  So I called.  Good God, what a mistake.  Stuck on the phone for two hours and just sent me into a complete mental spiral downward.  SHE LOST HER JOB! She finally had a job and an apartment and she lost it and can’t afford her rent and IM THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS THIS SHIT STORM IS COMING.

Very dark place mentally.  Husband is my rock though.  It’s not my business.  Stay out of it.  Maybe just never talk to your sisters. Reasonable suggestion.

Back to dad. Now we’ve known that he needs 24 hours care and my sister and the girlfriend have been doing it.  If they can’t, they have to hire a nurse or sitter. Sister has posted this drama all over social media.  But she never asked for help or money.  My brother’s wife even offered to go clean her house or dog-sit for my sister.  But she wouldn’t help with dad because dad kinda hates her whole family. 

Then last week (I just checked my phone, so not even a week ago), sister texts that she’s hiring hospice to help with dad.  Good.  They need some help.  Everyone texts that their condolences blah blah. 

BTW, no one even knows other sister is unemployed and should probably be helping out…

Then she sends a very long text about how heartbroken and beaten down she is that all of this has been on her shoulders and we’re all pieces of shit and she’s spent her savings on dad and blah blah. 

I mean, fair for me, but you never asked for help much less money from anyone.  Also, you don’t have to be the one taking care of him.  Let his girlfriend do it.  Or better yet, a nice nursing home! Somehow you are the entire codependent triangle AT THE SAME TIME.  Rescuer – Victim – Prosecutor.  Like I’ve been in therapy 20 years trying to break this triangle and you just like made it your triforce.  Well done. 

Well, my brother’s wife shot back that she’s reached out to help numerous times, just not willing to help directly with dad.  That was that. 

So this whole time sister has been slapping this drama on social media and how she’s all alone in this.  Hell, my fucking mother in law even asked about it last weekend. 

Like I’ve tried to explain “disowned” to her for two years but she just doesn’t get it. 

Then yesterday, I happen to hop on Facebook.  I don’t do that daily anymore.  (Note, my brother isn’t even on Facebook.)    There’s a post there by my sister tagging my father announcing that he is dying.  She’s tagging him in it so his friends that wish to say goodbye can come do so.

What the fuck?  You just not gonna tell anyone? 

So I screenshot it and send it to my brother’s wife cause I ain’t calling my crazy sister.  She’s in jury duty so she sends it to my brother and tells him to go over there and see what is going on.  (They haven’t seen Dad in over a year as were dads wishes).  So I call my brother and I tell him about how I knew he’d been in decline but when we saw him he was perfectly lucid and to let me know what’s going on. 

So they (brother and his wife) call me last night.  Yep, he dying.  Well, maybe? 

Apparently, this weekend he just started to decline rapidly and they don’t know why.  But he’s on hospice so it’s not like he’s going to the doctor.  They have him in a hospital bed and he can’t get up or move.  You can barely understand him.  They think he’s got days.  His girlfriend says it’s like he just doesn’t want to live anymore.  He won’t eat.  They’re having to change his diapers.  He’s in tons of pain.  Apparently, he’s confused and asking for people who aren’t there. 

So…

Um…

What do I do here, exactly?

They invited me to stay at their place if I want to come down this weekend which I suppose I kinda have to.  Like not for that asshole, dad.  But for my siblings.  I love my brother. 

My sister will hate me no matter what and she needs someone to hate so OK. 

They said I should call my sister (I’m the one who told THEM but I didn’t call my sister who told Facebook he’s dying but not his family).  I called.  She didn’t answer.  I texted.  No text back.  Actually, last week I texted her after her text rant that I wanted to send her some diamond art coasters that is a very mindless zen art project she could easily pick up and put down.  Never got a reply.   I’m telling y’all, hates me.  I told her I’d try to call again today.  I’ll do that when I get home and have husband support. 

As for visiting, I don’t know?  I mean… I guess?  Husband thinks the best thing to do is follow brothers lead.  Husband also points out that we don’t even know what things will look like this weekend (as in how fast is he declining?).  He could also just be like this for years, who the hell knows? 

Brother thinks it will be soon though.  So like I guess go down and take his favorite cake (since he apparently won’t eat).  But like we’re just gonna be there awkwardly standing around?  Will he even recognize us?  And hate will be oozing from my sister. 

I just don’t know.  What a cluster fuck. 

I asked them if we should call other sister (WHO NO ONE KNOWS DOESN’T HAVE A JOB) and none of us wanted to do that.  Even brother was like “she’ll see it on Facebook.”

Oh what a fucked up family situation. 

IM IN METAL DISTRESS.  TELL MY MOTHER IN LAW I DON’T WANT TO BE ASKED ABOUT IT.  This is not the time to try to explain these crazy ass dynamics to someone who hasn’t figured out what a carb is for 8 years and doesn’t understand that they hate me. 

So this is 85% of my brain capacity right now.  I’ve got stress tummy.  I’m just trying to get through my day.  Do I call? Do I visit?  I DON’T KNOW.  What gets me judged as least evil, I guess?

And everyone always says I’ll regret not forgiving my father but even if I were capable of that, it’s kinda too late. And I ain’t anywhere near that.  His chances died with my mother. 

…Or maybe when he killed my dog, Smokey, and laughed about it,  there was just no coming back. 

But he can never make amends to my mother and I hate him more for that than anything else. 

UPDATE:  Oh fuck me.  Ok. 

*C is the miserable sister taking care of dad. 

*J is the loser sister who doesn’t have a job. 

*H is my brother’s wife.

I just talked to H.  C texted J to ask why she wasn’t visiting. (Also, somehow they know she doesn’t have a job).  J asked why she needed to.  C says he’s dying.  J says she might come tomorrow. 

H calls J.  J says she doesn’t have a job and doesn’t have gas money.  H says she’ll pay for her gas, she needs to see dad.  Then…

J goes on a rant about how C’s stress is more important HER stress (it is).  And says she might as well just drink antifreeze and let us smell her body. 

H was like, I just didn’t even respond. 

How do you even begin to explain this shit to anyone?

UPDATE 2: Welp.  I’m here.  Brother called at 3am and said the end is nigh.  So I came down. 

Unfortunately, J is here too.  She won’t talk to anyone but I guess the antifreeze thing didn’t pan out.  Which , really?  You live in an apartment and don’t take care of your car.  You don’t have antifreeze.  You’re too lazy to go get it and too broke to buy it.  What a stupid suicide threat.  And also, you live in an apartment, we would just get a phone call after they cleaned up your biohazard ass. 

Oh my lord, how could you even begin to explain these dynamics to anyone?

I came for my brother.  Also, no one can say I didn’t come. 

Fox News is on the TVs.  So that’s fun. 

I activated my support network this morning.  I’m not sad, but I God I gotta keep the crazy out. 

Fucking Life BS

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First, I would like to start off with a fuck you to Facebook who wants me to update this fun frivolous photo of my dead mother laughing with a funny pool float she bought during her last summer on this Earth. 

Fuck youuuuuuuuu

Also, work sucks.  You know, status quo, now.  We’ve met about half of our “must eliminate ” quota from this fine government regime.  Only 323 more positions to eliminate.  They’ll all take the buy out, right?  Right? Even though literally no one is hiring right now?  It’s totally gonna be fine. 

Also, I called my sister for her birthday.  Man that put me in a dark place.  Like just threw me back into that born-and-raised Codependent Life.  I resisted any urge to reach out to any other family.  To try and hedge against the tsunami coming.  To warn them.  To yell OH MY GOD WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?  To gossip. 

I do feel that codependency guilt.  Like a lot.  I’m not OK.  But my husband is giving me strength to keep my mouth shut and stay out of that business.  Not my business. 

But like isn’t it?  Now I’m just feeling even more guilty about all the BS shoved on my family.  But like, they don’t HAVE to pick up the bullshit.  If anything, my brother and his family proved that this year.  They were shunning my cold heartedness last time dad almost died and babysitting him 24/7.  They have completely abstained this time.  So like, it can be done by not JUST me.  SIL is talking about how sister is mad at her for not helping.  Yeah, welcome to my world.  Y’all sure judged me last time.  See how it is?

Ugh.  Family trauma.  Dead mom.  POS dad keeps almost dying and now needs 24/7 care but only his girl friend and one sister are taking care of him and they’re drowning.  And of course very resentful of the rest of us.

And now the rest of this other sister bullshit is coming at them and they don’t even know it’s coming.  ONLY I KNOW. 

I mean at least no one’s gonna ask us for money.  Husband got laid off and the entire US wants me to lose my job and y’all voted for it.  So nope, we poor.  Keep off the lawn. 

Speaking of lawn, there was a turtle in the yard today. 

That is all.

The Death of OJ

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This morning we were idly chatting about Saturday morning type things. Husband asked me if I had heard that OJ died. I said no, but I saw this meme and I knew:

It’s so true. Let him go out in style. We were like the key age to remember this shit. I remember the trial VERY VIVIDLY. This was way bigger than Depp vs Heard.

Anyone who is sad about this shit can kick rocks. Motherfucker wrote a book called “If I Did It.” They had even filmed an interview for Fox called “O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened.”

What a piece of shit. Also that Fox tried to pull that shit shows all their integrity. They did eventually air that interview anyway — so they never actually found any morals.

Death and Dreariness

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I need to post here more. I need to set up and email account that will auto post for me. I have things to say, just not easy to get them here. And when I get off work, I just want to zone the fuck out.

Tonight, I checked on the GoFundMe for Aric and Samantha “Sam” Hutchinson. A little over a week ago, they were in an accident right after their wedding. They were on a golf cart driving away from the wedding when a drunk driver hit them. She died at the scene in her wedding dress. To be honest, i was checking to see if he died too. Last I checked, he was in critical condition. Looks like he is home recovering. Abso-fucking-lutly tragic. If I were him, I’d never have wanted to survive.

Death has been on my mind. Obviously reading something like that just kills you. But I had a better death-related happenstance last week. I’ve always been bothered by Robin William’s suicide. Not just a little, severely bothered. I’ve been suicidal. I had an excellent plan. Thankfully, I decided to give psychiatric medication a shot before I called it. But I was there. As they say in the Princess Bride “at worst I’ll kill you in the morning.”

So like I know that darkness depth of loneliness. I’ve always been so troubled that Robin freaking Williams killed himself. Like that happy man who everyone loved — if he couldn’t make it, what chance have we? He could have called ANYONE and we’d have been there for him. So it’s just always weighed heavy on my heart.

By happenstance, I came across this article by his wife (link). He was dying. He had Lewy body disease, not that he knew the name of it at the time. It had taken away his mental health. It had taken away his genius. His activeness. It had taken everything from him. He knew he was dying and quickly at that. He had a lucid Saturday with his wife and they had a wonderful day. She thought he might be getting better and then he killed himself on Monday. Tragic, of course. But he went out on his own terms. The state he was in was tragic.

But finding out that he wasn’t alone. He had his wife with him until the very end. And that it wasn’t a pit of loneliness. He was just speeding up the dying process. He was diagnosed by his brain. One of the worst cases of the disease ever seen. Half his dopamine receptors were completely gone. His entire brain was infected. He knew it was time.

And that lifted a heaviness I had. I know thats weird. But it did. I always mourned how he must have felt to do that. But knowing it wasn’t like that — it brightens my heart. He knew how loved he was. It wasn’t that. It wasn’t depression that took him. And he wasn’t alone.

RIP, Robin Williams. You are missed by many.

Also, K2’s mom was talking about how her mom had morbidly completely planned out her funeral to a tee 20 years before she died. So I’m about to post about that. I have a funeral plan. I think. Gotta run it by the husband. How much are life sized weeping angel statues?

Dear Mom,

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This photo was in my memories yesterday. Just one year ago. Wow. How could it just be one year? Look at my innocent little self. We have pool hair because it wasn’t so cool last year. We were painting modpodge pumpkins from a coloring book. One of us found the coloring book and I cut them out and stuck them on canvases for us to paint. The other canvases are still leaning against the wall behind the curtain where you put them. Look at us just having fun doing nonsense. And I was fresh and new in my job so I didn’t realize what a shit show it was yet! Ah, innocence.

It seems like years ago. Has the world turned over so much in just a single year? Nay, just 9 months. Damn.

I can’t stop looking at this photo. Just a year ago… Man I miss you. I put up Norbert yesterday and I couldn’t quite figure out where to put him just right. Last year we argued that I wanted him closer to the road and you wanted him closer to the house. So of course he had to go exactly where you said he should go again this year. But where was it exactly? A little more that way? It was a struggle. Today I found the Casper the Ghost Halloween mask you sewed me. Heh. It some how was in my normal non-holiday mask pile that I just washed and ironed.

I miss you so much.

There’s so much to tell you! Isn’t this weather crazy? So cool. I hope we have a long Fall. I got an appointment to get my goomba tattoo! You knew I wanted a sleeve but you didn’t know about the goomba. I know you’re not a fan of tattoos, But I also know you’d have blessed the goomba. I can just hear you saying that its so ME. It is, isn’t it? I’m super excited. Wish you could come along and you and K could take a picture of me getting it and then explore Nashville while they finish it up.

We’re gonna consult about the sleeve I want too. I really want Megan Massacre to do the portrait part and then have Devon Greig do the whole rest of the sleeve. They’re both amazing with color – I did my research. Jack is the center piece. Of course. My precious Jack. You didn’t know it, but he’s in stage 3 or 4 kidney failure. Terminal diagnosis, not reversible. Sucks. I feel like if you were here, it wouldn’t be so upsetting losing him. After you died I just couldn’t handle the thought of losing my precious so I actually took him to the vet. I know! He hated it! And it cost like $600. I know! But I had them run him for everything to make sure he was solid. Well, he’s not solid.

Hey while I’m typing this, someone not part of the family, is giving sis1 shit for posting about Covid vaccines. Apparently, we know this person who thinks it’s romantic that their BF came to take care of them with Covid and now they’re in the hospital holding hands and getting treatment together. How romantic! Fucking dumbasses. No one takes this shit seriously and it’s so infuriating. Yeah it only kills a few people. Like you. It killed you. The only death out of the — how many are we up to? $600k yet? Yeah but you.

I get so mad at these anti-vaxxer morons. You’d tell me to shut up. I’m over here stirring the pot and you’d certainly call me and tell me to stop. But you know what, CODA and my therapist tell me that it’s not my responsibility how people hear what I say and how they choose to respond.

Anyway, there’s a whole shit pile of bad I could catch you up on. I mean the world’s gone to shit, Mom! Like absolute shit show dumpster fire over here. But there’s so much good on the horizon that I wish I could talk to you about!

Like the tattoo, so exciting. When better than when I’m coming up on 40? Oh oh oh oh — OH MY GOD. You don’t know WHY I’m finally getting my tattoos! Mom, I’m getting my arms fixed! Mr. C’s totally cool with it. I’m taking all of December off because I’m having my stomach and arms done! It’s going to be amazing. I don’t know how I’ll do it without you here, but I’ll do it. You’d be so excited for me. I’m sure you’d talk down all my worries. Because this is something I’ve wished for and worked so hard for.

And I’m doing CODA every Monday and crossfit three time a week! Can you believe it? I know you can. You’d tell me as you’ve told me before. When I want something, I go at it and I get it. As far as the surgery, I can see you telling me I’m prepared for everything. Like when I surprised you with a shit ton of Aldi bags. Or not surprised you, because as you said then — you know I prepare for everything. Though you still doubt me sometimes. Like you’d have 100% supported me taking today off over my hurting knee. You’d tell me I’m going too hard. But dude, crossfits expensive. I can’t pay that much and not get my moneys worth. And the more fit I am, the better I’ll recover from surgery 🙂 Just two more months.

Miss you, Momma. More than you can imagine.

Not a speaker review

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So I bought a bluetooth speaker for the pool. Nothing extravagant, just a little speaker. I was going to write my review for it here. I’m trying to get a post AND an Amazon review out of my reviews. However, this one would start rather depressingly if I were honest. Not exactly good for the helpful votes. See I bought the speaker, because I’m lonely.

I’ve said many times that mom was my pool buddy. I’ve been worried about missing her a lot so one thing I did was buy the speaker. That way I could have music by the pool. And it works. It’s less lonely singing along to my Pandora station while I float around. But I still miss mom. And yet, I feel I don’t miss her enough.

I suppose it could be massive amounts of antidepressants, of course. But I feel like I’m just not sad enough. Yet, there is an infinite sadness if I stop long enough to look for it. It’s so weird. It’s like I don’t miss her in my day to day. My day to day goes on. I do what I do. It’s like life has not changed (even though, rationally, it has) — like she was just deleted all of the sudden. Like maybe she was never there — just *poof* gone.

There doesn’t seem to be an intrinsic piece of evidence of her existence. Sure there’s pictures and her room and her urn… But those are only evidence someone existed. They’re evidence a human was here. Of course I had a mother. Bot there’s not evidence that SHE was here. That that special person I had was here. And I feel like my continuing on day to day without more mourning than I have is a injustice to her. Like an insult. Like she can be replaced by a radio.

There’s no epic conclusion. I don’t have some wrap-up planned here. Much like life, this post doesn’t really end. It’s just me blabbering about.

Grief is weird. And there’s no one to point me in the right direction.

Fuck this Mother’s Day

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I wish I could skip this Mother’s Day. My mom isn’t here any more. She was the most awesome person ever and she’s gone. I have no mom to celebrate anymore so I don’t wanna participate. Leave me out, guys.

But I can’t. Mr C has a mom. I handmade her a nice card. We chose a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to her. Tomorrow we’ll talk to her and wish her a Happy Mother’s Day. And she is the mother of my favorite person so that’s fine. But it feels so wrong. She’s not my mom! She’ll never be close to being my mom. My mom dead. I can’t send my mom flowers. I can’t call my mom. Here I am doing all these things for my mother in law and nothing for my own mother. It feels dirty. Who’s gonna celebrate my mom? Who’s gonna acknowledge that fuck this day, my moms dead! She’s gone! Who’s gonna acknowledge my heartbreak? Fuck this shit. Fuck Mother’s Day. They stole my mom from me.

I did buy some plants in her honor. The other day I was at Home Depot and picked up a Hibiscus for the back stoop. Mom bought two big Hibisus for the front porch last year and I killed them over the winter. So here’s to mom! Then Friday I picked out some flowers for the planter on the stoop. Mom would have long had already planted that stoop full of blooming flowers. The front porch too! Lord she’d probably be putting shit down the front stairs by now. So in honor of mom, I did the back stoop. It looked nice. I posted it on facebook with a nice message about being blessed to have had an amazing mother who is so very missed.

I didn’t do the front because the front is a pain in the ass. I hate having to water the flowers out there. Plus, because of the columns and the path of the sun, one side gets way more sun than the other. But then I was at Ace Hardware and they had ferns. I casually asked how much they were. They were only $12. Momma loved a good fern. I could just hear her telling me how great they’d look on the porch. How can I leave such a beautiful porch bare? Such a shame. She never even asked me before planting it every year — she’d just come home with plants for the front porch and then I had plants to take care of. She’d plant elaborate mixed pots. Multiple pots for layers of flowers. *sigh* Mom would have bought those ferns so so did I.

Now they look like they need plant stands don’t they? I guarantee you mom would have them in plant stands before I wake up tomorrow. I’d wake up and she’d be like “see if you notice anything different!” She’d have to force hint the porch for me cause that’s a broad ask.

I love you, momma. I loved you with all my heart. I miss you so much. And I AM thankful that I got to have the kind of mom that leaves such a big gap in my heart. I’m glad I got to have you. Rest in peace, mom.

My blog, My therapist

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I’m sad.  Just sad.  Mostly about momma.  I just really hate my job and my mom is dead.  I sit on her bed and look at the pictures on her memorial card and think “I’ll never see her again.”  It’s almost an unfathomable thought.  My brain can’t wrap around it.  I can’t really grasp that it’s true. 

I’ll never come by this bed to find her laying across it (never the right way).  He having fallen asleep, not under the covers, but under a throw while watching QVC.  I’ll never give her a hug and wish her goodnight and see if there’s anything I can get her before I go to bed.  I’ll never wake and look down at the dining room to find her painting at the table – or see her having coffee on the stairs by the pool.  Or just wake up to find she’s run off to Old Navy or Ollie’s or Old Time Pottery to return later with gifts.  Always gifts.  A shirt or a pillow for my pool chairs, maybe a float or a cute kitchen towel, or lord help – a plant for the back or the flower beds or the porch or god-knows-where.  Momma never showed up without some small gift.  She loved to go shop and find the best clearance deals.  “I got you something.”  No wonder my love language is gifts.  She was always like that. 

There’s just an empty chasm of sadness beside me.  Nothing to be said for it.  Nothing to be done for it.  I thought about scheduling an appointment with my therapist, but what’s the point?  He can’t make me un-sad.  No one can say or do anything to seal this chasm.  I’m not self-harming or life-interferingly depressed.  I’m just really fucking sad.  I’ve honored her memory.  I made a beautiful vase full of rose petals — all carefully saved and dried from the many flower arrangements that were sent as condolences.  Some roses from the funeral, some petals from the corsage I wore.  I sit on her bed and look at her infamous red glasses sitting there on a tray with the book she wrote, a picture she painted, the memorial card from the funeral and a small urn of ashes.  I wear her star sapphire on my right hand.  Mom on my right and my sweet husband on my left (via my wedding ring). My rocks.  It’s like they’re holding my hand when I need a nudge. 

I look at the star in the sapphire when it magically decides to appear.  I’ve had my own sapphire.  I know the magic well.  I bought us each these sapphires years ago when I got my first real job.  The biggest present I had ever given her at the time. I was determined she’d wear another star sapphire – like the one that was stolen in her childhood.  A story she had mournfully told me many times.  Now I wear her stone instead of mine.  The stone she wore so often and that shows up in most of her pictures.  When I see the star I wonder how often she looked at the same star with amazement at the beauty.  Something otherworldly about the stones transformation in the light. 

I called M the other day.  One of my best and dearest friends.  I needed to talk to someone else who lost their mother.  Someone who knows this sadness.  What did he do with it?  How did he cope?  How did he keep going? True to our natures he didn’t bullshit me.  He didn’t cope.  There was no healing.  Only learning to live with it.  Time doesn’t heal wounds it just makes you keep trudging on with your new normal until the pain is almost a numbness.  Simply because there is no choice.  His anger is still palpable and fresh.  As if she’d passed as recently as my own mother.  It was genuinely surprising to me. We were angry and sad together.  We talked for over an hour.  We joked about fake boobs and caught up with each other.  He lives so far away now.  We talked through my drive home, through the pharmacy drive thru and on into my coming home, greeting my cat, and doing my daily Animal Crossing errands.  Mr C did not come down when he heard me arrive.  M’s voice is extremely loud and boisterous, no doubt who I was talking to on speaker phone.  Mr C was glad we were talking, he knew I needed it.  As we wrapped up our conversation I asked him “what do I do?”  And as cliché as it sounds, I shit you not, he told me what any beloved body-hiding-friend would say.  He said “you call me, and we’ll be sad together.”

A new chapter

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Mom’s funeral was Monday. The service was perfect, the flowers were beautiful, there was no family drama. It was more than I could have hoped for. She would have loved it.

I took down the Christmas decorations in her room today. She would have never left them up this long. It would have been decorated for Valentines by now. I did not decorate it for Valentines Day. However, I did change out the Christmas for her bright orange and teal quilt. The cats favorite chair changed from a Christmas throw and pillow to a more summery combination.

It’s funny. When we take down Christmas in the house, it always seems so much colder and more sterile. Moms room doesn’t. It still feels comfy cozy.

I do feel a small sense of closure. Like healing can start now. Waiting over a month to hold the funeral was a heavy stress on all of us. Now it feels like the page has turned to a new chapter. Your favorite character just died but you keep reading.

Trying to keep my cool

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So mom’s funeral is Monday. This is my off Friday, so when I filled out my time card, I went ahead and entered bereavement leave for the funeral next week. I almost burst into tears.

I love time off. I hate working and in particular I hate my current job (don’t worry, I have something in the pipeline for May). So missing work is awesome. And free PTO? Sign me up! But bereavement leave… for my momma? I don’t want this. Not like this. I’ve joked about using bereavement leave in the past for my father because I’m a terrible human being — but my momma?

I guess it’s strange things that can trigger grief. K gave me a card I knew was from old coworkers with condolences and I didn’t even open it until I got home. Couldn’t afford to cry on my lunch break.

K said shes coming to the funeral. K, you so don’t need to drive two hours to come. I wont be able to see you and even if I did, I couldn’t give you the big hug you deserve and cry on you cause she was my momma. I’m crying as I type this. I’m so glad you at least knew her a little bit. I was so blessed to have such wonderful relationship with mom and I’m so blessed to have you as a best friend.

Alright, I’m gonna go hug the cat.