Sunday, October 12 Mom Died

The doctor and nurse explained that Mom was failing. The plan was to pull the tubes, and when that happened the end might take 10 minutes, it might take 24 hours. Dad was there with all of us. We all took some time to say a few words to Mom. We asked Stan to help us say a prayer for Mom, and for all of us. I know it was hard for him - but his prayer was wonderful.
Father Ronnie Sison from Mom and Dad's parish came over to give her a final blessing. We all stepped out - except Sharon and Lauren - while they removed the tubes. Then we all gathered around her bed to wait. I shared something that Mom said to me while we were on the cruise - that she looked up and saw all of her children reading and was proud. The silence was intense. Some of us were quiet, some were crying quietly, some were stoic. And then we heard "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like green eggs and ham." Tyler thought that Great-Grandma might like to hear him read - since he had not been able to read when she last saw him this summer. We listened to the story for a short while as we watched her oxygen level drop lower and lower. I asked Tyler to stop reading for a bit, so that Great-Grandma could rest. And then her oxygen level dropped to zero, her heart stopped, and she was gone.