Post by museisjoy on Sept 22, 2007 16:44:13 GMT -5
Life, Death and The Butterfly
The week of her death watch, I was sitting outdoors on my Mother's patio, a place where she and our family had a great deal of wonderful memories. All the many years I had been there before I had never seen any butterfly's in that backyard. At least not that I remember. But as it turned out to be the last week of my Mother's life there was a yellow one that appeared every day. At one point, I thought its wing's looked a bit tattered, like it had beat itself up, just waiting. I could not help but think to myself, that the butterfly was lingering there each day, waiting to escort Mom's soul to heaven.
I had been taking care of my Mother for the entire month of August. (As she wanted to die in her home.) The story of her death is phenomenal really. Her Great Grand baby was due to be born on August 31st and labor was induced that same evening with the baby being born shortly after 6:00 p.m. The reason labor was induced on the due date was because it had already been known early in the pregnancy that the baby had a hole in her heart. I was there to witness the birth and hold my newly born granddaughter. However at this point my Mother was basically unresponsive. Friends and family who were with her held the phone up to her ear so she could hear the baby cry, she was congratulated on becoming a Great Grandmother. Later I was told that a faint smile came across her lips.
Mom had a battle with Cancer unlike anyone I've seen. She fought with all that was within her, trying to hold on to life. As she knew the baby had heart problems, but we were, all of us, hoping she would live long enough to hold her first Great Grand child. I left the hospital to get back to my dying Mother's bedside, only to be called to the hospital again, as the baby was having complications with her little heart. My Mother was on deaths door by this point. I was only at the hospital for a brief period, the second time, as they were able to get baby Cecilia's (that was her Nee) heart stabilized.
Needless to say I was overwhelmed, literally running between death and life. By the time I got back to Mother's bedside, it was 10 minutes past midnight. I had gotten back just in time to hold my Mother's hand when she took her last breath. I was certain that God had orchestrated the whole thing. It appeared that my Mother had held on to life until she knew that her death would not be on the day that her Great Grand baby was born. My Mother's death was exactly 6 hours to the minute of the babies birth. We all truly wanted to see Mother hold on long enough to hold that baby in her arms before she died. In that respect hopes and dreams were dashed. But then we strongly felt that Mom would be her Great Grand baby's guardian angel...as Mother had all the strength of ten men, and always had it seemed. And we knew that Cecilia with her heart problems would need all she could get.
By this time, I had forgotten all about the butterfly. It was a warm and sunshiny day, as we were riding in the family car, with the hearse in front of us headed to the cemetery. All of a sudden low and behold a yellow butterfly dipped and fluttered past both vehicles. I couldn't believe my eyes! It was not until after the graveside services, when I walked out from under the canopy that I spotted, (what appeared to be) that yellow butterfly again! Its wing's no longer tattered, I watched in awe as it once again, fluttered and floated into the the shadows of the setting sun.
I have always believed that our home, here on earth is not really home, and that our true home is in God's heaven. I believe that and I will always believe, that the yellow butterfly took my Mother's soul home that day. I know it in my heart and will believe that until my dying day. Now I ask you, does this true to life story not bode, as to how God plans our life's out? It does me. He orchestrated my Grand baby's birth, my Mother's death and the flight of the butterfly.
The week of her death watch, I was sitting outdoors on my Mother's patio, a place where she and our family had a great deal of wonderful memories. All the many years I had been there before I had never seen any butterfly's in that backyard. At least not that I remember. But as it turned out to be the last week of my Mother's life there was a yellow one that appeared every day. At one point, I thought its wing's looked a bit tattered, like it had beat itself up, just waiting. I could not help but think to myself, that the butterfly was lingering there each day, waiting to escort Mom's soul to heaven.
I had been taking care of my Mother for the entire month of August. (As she wanted to die in her home.) The story of her death is phenomenal really. Her Great Grand baby was due to be born on August 31st and labor was induced that same evening with the baby being born shortly after 6:00 p.m. The reason labor was induced on the due date was because it had already been known early in the pregnancy that the baby had a hole in her heart. I was there to witness the birth and hold my newly born granddaughter. However at this point my Mother was basically unresponsive. Friends and family who were with her held the phone up to her ear so she could hear the baby cry, she was congratulated on becoming a Great Grandmother. Later I was told that a faint smile came across her lips.
Mom had a battle with Cancer unlike anyone I've seen. She fought with all that was within her, trying to hold on to life. As she knew the baby had heart problems, but we were, all of us, hoping she would live long enough to hold her first Great Grand child. I left the hospital to get back to my dying Mother's bedside, only to be called to the hospital again, as the baby was having complications with her little heart. My Mother was on deaths door by this point. I was only at the hospital for a brief period, the second time, as they were able to get baby Cecilia's (that was her Nee) heart stabilized.
Needless to say I was overwhelmed, literally running between death and life. By the time I got back to Mother's bedside, it was 10 minutes past midnight. I had gotten back just in time to hold my Mother's hand when she took her last breath. I was certain that God had orchestrated the whole thing. It appeared that my Mother had held on to life until she knew that her death would not be on the day that her Great Grand baby was born. My Mother's death was exactly 6 hours to the minute of the babies birth. We all truly wanted to see Mother hold on long enough to hold that baby in her arms before she died. In that respect hopes and dreams were dashed. But then we strongly felt that Mom would be her Great Grand baby's guardian angel...as Mother had all the strength of ten men, and always had it seemed. And we knew that Cecilia with her heart problems would need all she could get.
By this time, I had forgotten all about the butterfly. It was a warm and sunshiny day, as we were riding in the family car, with the hearse in front of us headed to the cemetery. All of a sudden low and behold a yellow butterfly dipped and fluttered past both vehicles. I couldn't believe my eyes! It was not until after the graveside services, when I walked out from under the canopy that I spotted, (what appeared to be) that yellow butterfly again! Its wing's no longer tattered, I watched in awe as it once again, fluttered and floated into the the shadows of the setting sun.
I have always believed that our home, here on earth is not really home, and that our true home is in God's heaven. I believe that and I will always believe, that the yellow butterfly took my Mother's soul home that day. I know it in my heart and will believe that until my dying day. Now I ask you, does this true to life story not bode, as to how God plans our life's out? It does me. He orchestrated my Grand baby's birth, my Mother's death and the flight of the butterfly.
JB
and 
all
time for me 
echoes, hope you all are doing well 
