“70 for 70”: Weekly Report Four
“70 for 70”: Weekly Report Four
As some of you know, I embarked on my “70 for 70” activities on the ramp-up to my 70th birthday on June 13, so this is my fourth Weekly Report on those activities. Please read the previous and upcoming posts for details on each week’s activities.
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May all beings benefit.
July 5
Went to my son and DIL’s home to babysit my granddaughter again today. So happy to be doing that! For this week’s session, my son had called Wednesday to ask if I could stay longer so they could get some renovation work started in their home. I gladly agreed and was there most of the day today.
July 6
My housemate and her children are going on a vacation/family reunion trip Monday. While she went to exercise, I helped them both pack and do their household chores. Left her a list of what she needs to do to finish their packing. She was extremely relieved and grateful.
July 7
Our mom took a bad fall, broke her leg, and is in the hospital in Los Angeles since Friday night. She is now quickly deteriorating and may not survive (she’s over 92). Early Sunday, I asked the floor nurse to get someone to hold the phone up to her working ear and talked to her. She couldn’t talk since she had an oxygen mask on, but they said she gave me a thumbs up twice. I’m so sad. She went into a coma and palliative care by mid-morning. By early evening, they were reducing her oxygen and increasing her morphine so that she could die without stress. It’s what she had said she wanted. She died at 10:15 PM today: three 7’s. She got her lucky numbers on purpose.
July 8
Dealing with my mom’s passing yesterday and my housemate’s and her children’s leaving this morning on their 2-week vacation. Letting friends and family know about Mom. Helping get the family here off to the airport.
Crying intermittently, but generally all right.
I swam today for the first time in 10 days since I had a small biopsy (NEGATIVE) done and couldn’t immerse for that period of time. Felt so great to be back in the pool, especially today (VERY HOT for Seattle; 90 F–ish peaks for a few days, now).
Spent a lot of time on the phone with some grieving people.
July 9
I spent a lot of time preparing, then delivering some great chicken salad to a medical provider I saw today because I’m very grateful to him. He said he had a very full day on Tuesdays and hardly any time to eat and was very pleased I had brought him some food.
July 10
My youngest sister created a playlist for our mother’s funeral service today with some songs I suggested and Mom had loved. I thanked her and told her it was perfect.
I called some people Mom had been friends to tell them about her passing and her funeral, in case they hadn’t heard, but they all had. Today, I posted the funeral info and a photo of the two of us on Facebook and that informed more people, so I think “everyone” knows who needs to know, by now.
Funeral is today at 2:30 PM CDT at the graveside only. I’m attending via Zoom.
July 11
Since I was the only immediate family member to attend via Zoom, I “hosted” and coordinated the arrivals and introductions yesterday. I also sent a list of who attended to my youngest sibling for the records.
Today I cried a lot and also talked with her.
At the pool, I allowed someone to go ahead of me and get a lane. Usually wouldn’t do that, but my mom would have….
