Remembering and Honoring My Mother

I have not posted in a couple of weeks having been busy with my Mother's passing away earlier this week.  She was diagnosed with advanced renal cell cancer in April and dealt with it quite bravely and forthrightly.  I am fortunate enough to live within a two hour drive of where she  and my Father live near Linville, NC and have been traveling back and forth on days off and weekends to visit with her.  I am ever so grateful for being able to spend time with her before her passing.

As prepared as we all were for her final days and hours, it is never easy to say Good-bye.  Still, the rituals and ceremonies associated with death are both comforting and cleansing.  I shared time with my Father (fortunately still healthy and living) along with my brother, sister-in-law, sons and daughter-in-law.  My extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends were also a great comfort.

My Mother was a strong-willed and independent person who lived her life with great zest! Her many passions included music, gardening and cooking - all of which she acquired great skill at.

She played several instruments including the piano, cello, mandolin, fiddle, and autoharp - I might have left off one or two instruments because she was always looking for a new instrument to enjoy playing.  She also imparted her love for music to my youngest son giving him a keyboard for Christmas when he was about seven years old.  We acquired a piano a couple of years later and he grew up learning and loving to play it - and he and my Mother shared this musical bond for the rest of her life.

Her green thumb was amazing - I swear she could revive a plant that was absolutely near death!  And her culinary skills were equally amazing - she enjoyed nothing greater than to prepare a great feast at Holidays and special gatherings.

After her diagnosis in April, we were uncertain if she would be able to make the trip to Charlotte, NC for my oldest son's wedding in May.  She seemed to be weakening by the day, but she was on a mission at that point to be present.  And present she was!  In this photo below with my father, son and new daughter-in-law, I admire the look of quiet determination on her face.

Finally, I just want to take a moment to thank the special people with Medi Home Hospice in Newland, NC who helped my mother die with the same grace and dignity by which she lived.

Corine S. Waterman
November 21, 1930 - July 7, 2013