I have an aunt. She married my birth uncle after his first marriage. Through many years, she and her hubby (my uncle) endured much hardships and health problems. She had cancer of the brain, pancreas, and several others that I do not know, as my becoming an adult caused us to lose touch. She went through chemo, was told that she had no other ways to beat this. She went all natural and holositic ways of living as she and my uncle had bad phsyical problems. Because of their new way of living, they improved their lives. She knew she was/is dying and made sure her hubby knew how take care of himself; diet, meds., insurance, etc.. she decided to die at home ( which hubby agreed ). She nudged him in bed two nights ago, told him to give her more oxygen. He did so, laid down next to her and she told him she loved him and it was time. She fell alseep in her husband's arms and he woke with her in a coma, where she is now, waiting for her family to come to gather around her.
This is the strongest woman I have ever known. I am in awe of this kind, funny, loving and giving human and wonder if any of you have known someone like my Aunt Anne. I know she will be gone and her soul will guide her soon. I send her love and fond memories to carry her to her next adventure!
I am sorry for the loss of your aunt. It sounds like your uncle was strong also.
What a beautiful way to die
Im so sorry for your loss. Sounds peaceful and a death with dignity will attend her. Your family's praises of her will live long.
It's those times, and several times in life, when having a loving, devoted spouse is worth so much and puts our complaints into perspective.
Thanks for sharing.
That brought tears to my eyes.
peace be with you and your family.
What a lovely tribute to a remarkable woman, L.. Thank you for sharing this.
My granny, who helped my single mother raise 4 girls, was incredibly strong. I knew as a child that she carried a deep sadness, and learned much later that she had lost her own mother and baby sister to the flu epidemic of 1918, and she and her other sister struggled to raise each other, living in deep poverty.
She fell deeply in love and married a man who turned out to have a serious gambling problem. He acquired huge debts to the Chicago mob, which began terrorizing the family, so he went into hiding, and she saw him only once after that, but never divorced. The remainder of her life was spent in service to her sprawling, poor family. She was kind, patient, loving, and the most accepting person I have ever known. She died of heart failure 30 years ago, and I still miss her.
What a sweet tribute. Bless her heart. Thinking of you, your uncle and family~
You sound very blessed to have know this amazing woman. What beautiful description.
I have a few very strong people in my life. One was my very dear business partner. She was smart talented and hilarious.
We went through a lot together. She, realizing she was never going to be able to have children. She called herself a barren woman... And then very unexpectedly we discovered she had cancer. She fought the battle, never losing herself. Amazing strength humor graciousness.
When we found out that she only had weeks left, we all spent as much time together as possible. We spoke about everything and anything. I jokingly asked her," when J finds a new woman in his life , do you want me to be nice to her or be a B to her?" She laughed took a moment and said, "please be nice to her, he needs and deserves to be loved." Amazing.
And then my stepmother, who happens to be younger than me. Sweet, funny, lady a bit shy. Her daughter a year older than ours was killed in a terrible accident. Devastating.. And yet my stepmom is here, she works through this loss every minute of her day, it would be so easy for her to give up, but she knows she needs to carry on. She is an inspiration to me. Strength that I cannot even begin to fathom. I say she is full of grace.. And yes, tremendous strength.
Some people have a special glow and energy. Your Aunt Anne sounds like one of these people.
Thank you for sharing her with us.
Updated
You sound very blessed to have know this amazing woman. What beautiful description.
I have a few very strong people in my life. One was my very dear business partner. She was smart talented and hilarious.
We went through a lot together. She, realizing she was never going to be able to have children. She called herself a barren woman... And then very unexpectedly we discovered she had cancer. She fought the battle, never losing herself. Amazing strength humor graciousness.
When we found out that she only had weeks left, we all spent as much time together as possible. We spoke about everything and anything. I jokingly asked her," when J finds a new woman in his life , do you want me to be nice to her or be a B to her?" She laughed took a moment and said, "please be nice to her, he needs and deserves to be loved." Amazing.
And then my stepmother, who happens to be younger than me. Sweet, funny, lady a bit shy. Her daughter a year older than ours was killed in a terrible accident. Devastating.. And yet my stepmom is here, she works through this loss every minute of her day, it would be so easy for her to give up, but she knows she needs to carry on. She is an inspiration to me. Strength that I cannot even begin to fathom. I say she is full of grace.. And yes, tremendous strength.
Some people have a special glow and energy. Your Aunt Anne sounds like one of these people.
Thank you for sharing her with us.
may her passage be gentle, and her reunion glorious.
doesn't that sound like the way we'd all like to go?
peace be with you all as you mourn her.
khairete
S.
what a beautiful tribute!! Thank you for sharing!! I think I'm gonna call my parents and siblings and tell them how much I love them and appreciate them today!! As this post proves you just never know when God will call you home!!
L.,
Pancreatic cancer SUCKS!!!
I'm truly sorry for your loss...may her memory be eternal!!
She sounds like an amazing W.! While it sucks that someone you love died, she died the way she wanted to and what sounds like little to no pain.
SuzT said it well. We should all be so lucky. Obviously, she was quite a woman.
I've had inspiration from grandmothers, a stepfather and a dear friend who were allcexames of how to live, how to give it hell, when necessary, and how to die. Memories of all if them are sweet.
My mother is a living example of life lived selflessly, gracefully and passionately.
What a wonderful example your aunt is! I hope you find some peace and strength as you gather with your family during this time, and how blessed are you to recognize how special she is?
I have been lucky to know a few incredible examples of strong people. A friend who used to be my neighbor got pregnant at 18 and married her boyfriend. Her son was a "dry birth" and he has dealt with developmental delays and health problems since birth. He is now in his 20's and will never live independently, but they have done an amazing job of raising him well, having him go to a special day school, and he he has a job and may eventually decide to live more independently in a group setting. They have two more neuro-typical kids who are teenagers, who they home school.
Five years ago, they had another son, who was born prematurely due to pre-eclampsia. He had some respiratory issues at birth but after a brief hospital stay was sent home healthy. He then suffered a series of strokes and brain hemorrhages and was in the hospital for more than a year (he was diagnosed with a rare, genetic bleeding disorder, which his disabled older brother also has but they didn't know it). By the time he came home at 18 months old, he was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, has impaired vision, and is on a ventilator and two feeding tubes. One room of their home is basically a pediatric ICU and he lives his life tethered to life support. And still, the family lives on, functioning as normally as they can.
My friend is a very devout Christian and chooses to turn her troubles over to God and see the good in life. She adores her son to pieces and she, her husband and children are giving him as normal a life as they can. It's just amazing that even with setbacks and complications, she soldiers on, keeping a positive attitude and expressing gratitude for all that they have. She gives comfort and support to other families who have kids with major medical issues and is just so strong it's truly awesome to see.
