Catherine Dilts
  • About Catherine
  • Catherine Dilts - Blog
  • Rose Creek
  • Short Stories
  • Annie's Fiction
  • Survive Or Die
  • Rock Shop Mystery Series
  • About Catherine
  • Catherine Dilts - Blog
  • Rose Creek
  • Short Stories
  • Annie's Fiction
  • Survive Or Die
  • Rock Shop Mystery Series
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

News 

12/14/2022 0 Comments

A Rough Ending to 2022

Picture
The year has been stressful as my mother's health declined. The end of October, she passed away. 

She would be happy to know her children have grown closer as we came together to honor her life. We're being faithful stewards of all that massive family history archive she left behind. 

Eighty-nine years seems like a long life. Even so, Mom left many things undone. Like finishing her dozen or so cross-stitch and crochet projects, completing the many to-be-read novels on her lamp stand, or labeling the rest of the old family photos.

​This is what I had to say about Mom at her memorial service:
Ten Life Lessons from My Mother
  1. Be tight with a dollar, but generous to those in need.
  2. Stick up for the underdog.
  3. We’re all God’s children – don’t think you station in life makes you better than anyone else.
  4. Never suffer a fool.
  5. The public library is your friend. One of the first things Mom did when we moved to a new town was take us to get library cards. She always had a stack of borrowed books in various states of completion. Her favorite authors were Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear, Janet Evanovich, Dorothy Gilman, just about any spy novel, and books with a little spice.
  6. Life is too short for broccoli.
  7. If someone tells you the meaning of life, and it doesn’t involve embroidery floss, yarn, or a crochet hook, they’re probably lying.
  8. Coffee was Mom’s favorite beverage. She liked it strong and black. She would appreciate this quote by Henry Rollins – “What goes best with a cup of coffee? Another cup.”
  9. Family is the most important thing, but like all good things, enjoy in moderation.
  10. The final lesson requires a bit of setup.
Lesson Ten:
I didn’t understand when Mom moved to Colorado in 2014 how delicate her health was, and she didn’t tell me. Relatively spry for her age, Mom managed for several years in an independent senior apartment. Then her lungs and heart gave her increasing trouble.

Mom almost died in March 2020. My siblings recall the tearful phone call as I advised them she was not going to survive. The chaplain sat with me, and the health professionals explained the process to “pull the plug.” My daughter and I left the hospital that night, convinced Mom would not make it to the next dawn.

When we returned in the morning, Mom sat at a table eating her breakfast. She looked up, saw us, and said, “What?” We expressed our amazement. Mom explained she saw us crying, and didn’t want to leave, seeing how sad we were.

Mom dodged death a couple more times. When her great granddaughter heard us talking about Mom being on death’s doorstep, she said, “It’s a good thing Grandma Jane got tired and laid down to take a nap, so she didn’t go through the door.”

My number ten life lesson from Mom is, “If you find yourself on death’s doorstep, ring the doorbell and run away giggling.”


0 Comments

    Subscribe to this blog:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly