Grieving support thread

[SamRoc]

My wonderful brother Pat passed away in April from a massive heart attack. He was only 59 years old. He has 6 kids, the youngest being 10 years old. But he is with my Mom now.

 

[chell]

This one is going to be difficult since I just lost my Junior last week.

 

[coinkc]

My mom died on December 13, 2001. I think of her every day.

To "honor" her memory, most of my six siblings and I take off work/school on the anniversary of her death and go to lunch at one of her favorite places. This year our "homework" was to each bring something that reminded us of her...in a funny, not sad way. We had a ball and it was a good thing we had a private room at the restaraunt because we were laughing so hard I thought they would kick us out! (This is a really fancy place to eat that none of us ever go to since it is pretty pricey.)

Another tradition that we have revived this year is to spend the night at a hotel at a place called Crown Center. This is a shopping/dining place that goes all out for the holidays (it is owned by Hallmark). It's just beautiful!When I was little my parents would get a room on December 23 so we would wake up there on Christmas Eve. We would go ice skating, see a movie, visit the candy store (multiple times!), etc. I can't wait to go this year and take my daughter. We all know that Mom will be right there with us!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

This thread makes me cry, but I love reading all the stories and memories you have all shared with your loved ones.

 

[SleepyMom]

We have many family members that we miss at Christmastime as well as the rest of the year, my Grandparents (they passed in 1978 and 1983), our son Michael (11-29-92) DH's dad (1978) and DH's step-dad (2002). But this year we have a few more to add, DH's mother passed in January and I lost 2 great-aunts (one in March and the other in November).

My Aunt Cleo was honestly the best person I have ever had the pleasure to meet. She found the love of her life in my Grandma's brother and they were married for 50 years, but were never able to have children, so all the nieces and nephews were special to them. He died in 1993. Within a few years her health started to decline and I stepped in to help her out, first at her home by shopping for her and paying her bills and driving her to appointments. Then she went into an assisted living center in 1998 and I can remember visiting her every single day, I didn't want her to think she was alone. In 2000 she went into a nursing home and was in a wheeelchair full-time. In March of this year she passed away, I was with her at the end. During all those years she had many things she could of complained about and she never did, she always had a positive outlook and shared it with everyone around her. She loved to sing and had a beautiful voice. Aides at the home each had a favorite song they would ask her to sing for them, and they always told me how much they enjoyed her. At her funeral we sang the song she sang the most often You are my Sunshine.

I kept all of her Christmas decorations at my house and would take them to her each year to decorate her room, so I was very sad unpacking our boxes this year and finding her things and knowing I couldn't take them to her. I put her little tree up on top of our TV, so I could look at it often. I miss her so much, she was like a bonus Grandma to my girls.

We also lost Granny Pat this year. She spent last Christmas in the hospital and passed away about 3 weeks later. Christmas was her holiday, she insisted everyone came home and she went all out every year. This year, I don't know what is going to happen, SIL has invited everyone to her house... but it won't be the same.