Eerie

I wrote a "New Year" blog in the morning on December 30th. I mentioned how grateful I was to still be able to have quality visits with my Mom in spite of her poor health.   Later in the day, I was called to the nursing home where my mother had been living for quite a months due to her failing health. My wonderful Mom passed away that afternoon.  I will truly miss her. This is my tribute to her:

It is a sad day for us. We lost my Mom late yesterday afternoon. She passed peacefully with family surrounding her. Mom's struggles are over for her and we know that she is now at peace and very happy to be reunited with my Dad, brother, and grandchildren who all left this world before her. Her parents, who left Italy and sailed to America in the early 1900's, died within months of each other when my Mom was only 15. Mom was second to the youngest of her eight siblings and is the last survivor of them. My grandmother died of complications to surgery and a couple of months later, my grandfather, a commercial fisherman, died at sea when his boat exploded off the coast of Cape Cod. Mom's older siblings cared for her until she met my Dad. They married and had six children. From those six children, Mom is survived by 14 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. From her eight siblings, she has many nieces and nephews who share our love for her. Most families have Christmas parties in their homes, but our family was so large that a Function Hall was hired for our annual Christmas party full of many Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins. Mom has many life long friends here in Massachusetts and made many more close friends during her twenty years as a "snowbird" in Florida. I know that Mom and Dad are up there dancing up a storm. I can see them "jitterbugging" again, a dance I loved to watch them do. She will be sorely missed by all and lovingly remembered by many. Peace be with you, Mom.