A story about Heaven
I am Shir their are many of us faced with the care of our aging parents. One of the hardest conversations to have with a parent is when they are dyeing .Saying good bye and helping them to let go and ease into their spiritual life as peacefully as possible. When a parent has Severe Dementia Parkinson's or Alzheimer's this conversation is even more difficult finding simple words to ease their worries and help them cope with their confusion. Especially during those very clear moments. Never think for a moment that they are not still them the mother or father that is a part of you. They know they just can not express their thoughts and feelings the same way.My Mother is struggling as she is facing her death. She is afraid and confused I feel as her care giver it is up to me to help her threw this struggle. I have prayed and searched in books and in my heart for the right words to communicate in the simplest form that she could cope with and understand . I wanted her to know her life had meaning that she was loved and she did a good job. Everybody deserves to be acknowledged and praised for their effort for leading a good life. I also wanted her to know she was dyeing and its OK. I wanted to give her something to look forward to so she could feel at peace. I wanted her to know she will be missed but I understood it was time for her to be with God and my Father and those she loved that have passed. Yesterday she asked if she was dyeing. The words I had been searching for came out of my mouth and straight from my heart so easily and innocently. I started telling her a story about heaven Lillian's heaven her special home in heaven we talked about everyone she would be seeing again . Her eyes were wide open she even began naming her Grandmother and my Father. We began imagining what we thought heaven looks like and how much fun it would be to be an angel we even giggled about it. I told her how pleased and proud God will be for living such a beautiful live. What a good job she did as a mother a wife and a friend . I told her how grateful I was to have her in my life and thanked her for all the joy she brought to my life. I said I could not imagine life without her and I was sad. But then I said she had a special glow when she smiled and that knowing she was smiling in heave and had no pain will help take that sadness away . I also reminded her that she taught me that love can never die we will always love each other. This seemed to help her feel better. I'm sharing this because A story about heaven was the perfect way for her to understand without fear and maybe this can help anyone else find the words to speak openly and honestly to their loved one. I plan to write this down in story form so I can read it to her if needed before she passes. She is in bed and comfortable and seems to enjoy when I tell a story or she likes watching me clean her room and fold close . She like to just watch out her window and listen to calming music.

posted by pondering princes
10 hours ago