Friday, July 07, 2017

Sad, not unexpected...

Well, Margaret - one of the long-time members of the church, someone who had been in my Sunday school class, active in CWF, a really big part of the church until January 2016 when she suddenly developed a terrible abdominal problem - has died.

She rallied several times and saw another birthday (not well enough to be in church that day, but we put someone's phone on speakerphone and sang happy birthday to her).

She was in hospice. The cancer that was the start of her problems either recurred, or had been hanging out somewhere they didn't detect it. I guess she went downhill quickly.

I don't know. I feel sad that she's gone, but I feel sadder that this past year-and-a-half was a round of doctor's visits, hospital stays, and mostly not-being-well-enough-to-do-much. I mean, now she is released from all that. But I'm still sad.

Funeral arrangements are pending. I will arrange to go when it happens; I will also do something for the family lunch if they have that.

I kind of hate this though. I've always had friends a good bit older than I am - I just think that's my nature - but it's hard when you start losing people.

Edited to add: at least she wasn't alone. Her son (I think her only remaining relative) couldn't get here in time but she had two close friends and a hospice worker with her. I didn't realize she was that close to dying; lots of times the timeline for hospice is nebulous. (a man who belonged to my parents' church was "in hospice" for nearly five years....)

Edited to add, Saturday: she was 91. I didn't realize she was that old. She has the son and some nieces/nephews but apparently that's the only family. And apparently there will be a memorial service later in the summer, which means more opportunity for planning/being prepared.

I will probably make a donation to the church memorial fund in her name.

1 comment:

CGHill said...

There are times when I wonder if simply being committed to hospice will slice weeks, months, off your Time Remaining, because you know it's the last stop on this railroad.