Joni Lynn

I lost both of my parents last year. I visit occasionally but it's still difficult.
Tomorrow marks one year since the passing of my father.

MassGT

Wow this is a great thread. Thanks for starting it. Lost Dad 2.5 years ago. Mom is 80 tomorrow on Mother's Day. They were married over 50 years. I owe everything to them. I am who I am because of them. OP just focus on the good times. It will help a little but time is the only thing that really works. Misting up as I right this but will try and treat my kids just as my parents treated me. Firm fair and never judge mental.

Happy Mothers Day Guys and Gals

ProfessorDeath

Love my mom and dad. Glad you got to have some quiet time with yours today.

J Vette

Wow! Wasn’t expecting this thread to go in this direction. I’ve had to walk away from it twice due to emotions. It’s hard for me to think about my mother because of the hurt it brings. She died one day after my birthday in 07. Somehow a piece of me vanished as well. I was suddenly incomplete and lost. Like a small child looking for his mother. I was 56 yr old and had never experienced anything like this emptiness. I remember going to her grave side some six moths after her burial and wailing like a baby til I just had nothing left. That seemed to help. Don’t know why. But I cannot think about her too much because it makes me cry incessantly.
Her grave is 500 miles away. But I have little Virginia’s (my mother’s name) growing in the yard in the Iris (flowers) that she had planted when she lived with us. She always loved flowers and especially Iris. Her spirit lives on in heaven and she no longer suffers the terrible pain of Osteo arthritis.
As others have said, hug your mother extra tight tomorrow and every day. Thay are indeed special. Now I’d better go before the 3rd wave sweeps over me.

Mark H

Lost my mother in 2000 and my dad in 2011. But, the loss of my brother last July with cancer has been the most painfully!! Both parents were suffering, so it was almost a blessing to see them pass, but big brother was a totally different story. Cancer is a awfully disease!!!

R&L's C6

Both parents in one year, wow that had to be terrible. It's a weird feeling when one day you wake up and realize your an orphan, in my case at 46....

Joni Lynn

It all happened pretty quickly, dad had been ill but mom had cancer and it moved very quickly to take her. It was mercifully quick and she didn't suffer to horribly except for a cough which appeared to annoy her more than cause pain and suffering.
I'm somewhat without words on the subject. I buried one of my best friends just a year earlier, Dad passed on May 12 and Mom on Oct 10 and then on what would have been Mom's 83 birthday this year (April 30) her youngest brother (last one living) passed at the age of 75. At the age of 57 I find myself with only 2 blood relatives remaining that are older than myself.
The world becomes more lonely with each loved one that departs. The memories once shared become only my memories.

FlyerVette

This is so true. Lost both my Mom and Dad about 2 years apart in the early 90's. My Dad's death was particularly tough as he was my last parent and he caught the house on fire. Was pulled out of the fire by a one of the firemen only to live 7 weeks on a respirator and then passed on from smoke inhalation injuries from the fire. Then just over 6 years ago my wife passed from cancer and my sister a year and half ago from dementia. Lots can change and quickly and dealing with loss and change was never one of my strong points.

R&L's C6

You put in words what I haven't been able to. I lost my sister in law seven years ago to lupus, she was only 46. Then a few years later it was Dad and then my Mom. I guess it's the way of the world, everyone goes through it if they live long enough, but that doesn't make it any easier. Hope you find comfort in the memories of your loved ones...

Flh Den

Thanks Randy for that nice thought. My mom passed in 2003 and besides all her great traits she was such a wonderful cook, with a French & Polish heritage. My daughter and my wife always remember how she made those fabulous polish dinners on easter especially, so they decided to cook a huge polish meal for mothers day to introduce the tradition to the grandkids. As we speak they have Golabki (stuffed cabbage) in the oven homemade polish sausage from a local meat market, kapusta (fried cabbage w/ sauerkraut) deviled eggs, potato salad, baked beans, and fresh deli rye bread, ready for the family on mothers day. My mom always baked a glazed ham as well but it seemed like a bit too much for mothers day. We will toast my mom as we pig out on this feast, and remember her laughing in the kitchen at all times. RIP MOM..

R&L's C6

What a feast, you're making me hungry, what times lunch.

My Grandmother was part Polish and she absolutely loved to cook. Every holiday meal she spent days in the kitchen and would have enough food for 50 people(we only had about 10 all together)

R&L's C6

I don't think your alone in that thought. I think a lot of us would do some things different, I know I would.

Flh Den

Randy, Honestly you are so welcome to join us as there will be so many leftovers, I will have to deliver some of my wife's Golabki's to my my polish buddy Monday. If you can get to RI by 4pm tomorrow your place will be set. Come on down..

R&L's C6

Thanks for the offer and if you weren't 22 hours away, I would take you up on it...

Hope you have a great day tomorrow with your family..

Flh Den

Thanks Randy we will I am sure, and the same to you my friend. Thanks for reminding everyone how important it is to remember our moms tomorrow..

Jim2003

My dad went home to glory in Sept, 10 days after 9/11. He watched the news on TV at the nursing home but his mind did not register how horrible it was.

I don't go to the cemetery to remember or talk to my dad. I took his work bench out of their house and it is in my garage. I go out there and remember all the great things that mechanical engineer taught me. Righty tighty, lefty lossy, sand with the grain, put the tools away clean and in their proper place, etc.

Mom went home to glory a year ago. Her birthday and mothers dad always fell the same week. So this week reminds me of her. She never worked outside the home. She was our transportation, great cook, cleaner, homework checker, piano practice timer, etc.

I am blessed to have had 2 parents who taught me so much. I always wondered why I went to college (1962). They said the phrase they used was not "If you go to college" it was always "WHen you go to college". They set high goals and standards and we were expected to attain them.

speedraider

This was a hard tread to open. I have passed over it so many times . I lost both of my parents 2 years ago. Spend as much time with your mom as possible.

Joni Lynn

Your parents are probably the best people you'll ever have the pleasure and experience of knowing and learning from. What they pass on to you will be here forever in what you do and in what your children do. Parents are treasures, under appreciated treasures.

R&L's C6

I agree, it is hard, and I want to thank everyone who shared their most personal stories about their family. It helps to remember your not alone, that we all share a common bond, the love of family.

Joni Lynn

It's been one of the better threads I've seen here since I joined. A lot of well thought out responses respectfully posted. Thanks.