Saying goodbye

A few days ago I talked about my cousin who had a brain aneurysm and had, after considerable discussion with family, been taken off of life support. Her daughter asked me if I would talk to my cousin as her daughter said that would cheer my cousin up. So two days after they took my cousin off life support I was able to talk to her and say goodbye.

I did most of the talking as my cousin could not speak very much. Every now and then her daughter had to tell me what her mom had said as her voice was not picked up well on the speakerphone. I told her I thought she was a strong woman and I was sorry about the situation she was in and she said, "Yes, I am, I'm like your mom." I knew what she meant, my mom had taken a year to die, after she was told she only had a few days too live. I agreed with her that she was tough, like my mom. She also said she enjoyed all the people who were coming to see her, but that it was very tiring to have all the visitors. I said that she had all the visitors because she was a well-loved person who had many friends. I said I loved her. My cousin's daughter phoned me today to say she had passed. I cried. 

My cousin has a wicked sense of humour and even as she is on her death bed, she has time for humour. My cousin's daughter told me two stories, "I brought in my son and asked mom if she knew who he was. Mom replied, "No, I don't and then called her son over by name, and looked at her daughter and laughed." 

The second story, My cousin's daughter left the room for a few minutes to talk to someone on the phone and when she returned her mom had pulled the blankets over her head. My cousin's daughter let out a gasp and her mom pulled the blankets down and smiled. Her daughter asked, "Mom, did you pull the blanket over your head, and her mom replied, "I guess I did."

Now some may not think the above is funny, but I do and her daughter did. If you cannot see the humour in a situation, then it may be too late for you. I will miss her and I am glad I had a chance to say goodbye.