I'm so sorry to hear your news, Wendy! I would think that losing a son or daughter could be even harder than losing a parent. My Mother never lost her caring for her children, right up until the last moment. My oldest sister had a colostomy and was in the hospital for close to two months before Mom died. Hospice had predicted that my Mother wouldn't make it through the weekend, about the time that my sister went into the hospital. Mom stuck around. Kept her bags packed, but slid them underneath the bed.

A week ago last Thursday, my sister finally was able to go visit my Mother. She had planned to wait until Saturday, when her visiting health care service was finished, but her daughter stopped by and said, "We're going up to see Grandma!" I don't know who was happier to see the other, my Mother or my sister. That was on a Thursday afternoon. Mom had tried to hang on until she was sure that my sister was in the clear. Friday morning, she died. But not before she managed to utter one word: "Bess." Bess was her closest friend and she lived in the complex where my Mother lived. Mom wanted Bess to be with her when she died so once again, she waited until Bess could get there. When she saw Bess come in the door, she flashed a warm smile, reached up and held Bess's arm, and died.

The night my Mother died, a ceramic angel with inset white bulbs suddenly turned on by itself. No one was near the switch or the chord. They left the angel on and the next day when we got there and went to the room where Mom lived, the angel was still lit. No one wanted to turn it off.

We'll keep you and all of your family in prayer, Wendy.

Jerry & Ruth