Jackie and Teri

Sometimes there are people that by chance change the course or outcome of our lives in a profound way and yet we may only know them for a few minutes or hours and not even know their last names. They may alter our memory or even our ability to cope with a loss in a way that no one could ever have imagined and they may never know but I felt compelled this morning to honor two people that changed an experience for me and my children in such a way that I will be forever grateful to essentially strangers that altered the course of my life and the course of my children’s lives.

[Photo Credit: Wix Images]

When my mother was in a grave place and in her last hours of living in this world I had a decision to make about whether to travel for 9 hours in the middle of the night with my kids to be by her side not knowing how long she would have left or to wait just a little longer with a good nights rest under my belt but to get up early and get to my mothers bedside. I had been on a long hike that day and was tired but filled with anxiety at a bleak prognosis at what mom was facing. After gathering my kids and talking with my husband we were on the fence and as a mom I wanted to get to Delaware fast but safety was a concern. I hadn’t pulled an all nighter in a while much less on the road under the tremendous pressure of not knowing if leaving at night was the wisest decision.

After a heart to heart talk with my mothers’s overnight nurse Jackie she gave us the facts and a gentle encouragement to do what we thought was best but if coming from NC would mean hours of driving she strongly encouraged us to leave that night. So we did. My kids and I left Charlotte and I drove the whole way checking in with Jackie for updates a couple times through the night desperate to be safe on the road but make it there while she was able to recognize us and us tell her we love her.

It was an excruciating drive all those late hours not knowing what was ahead and my head filled with every thought possible. Mom had rallied so many times but there was something about this time that seemed different. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

When we arrived at the hospital after driving it was 6 am and for the hour before while still driving I had watched the sunrise thinking of what I thought may lie ahead. It felt ominous. Jackie made it possible while mom was in the ER for us to see her after our long journey as soon as we arrived. Mom was awake and cognizant with Nick and Bella telling her they loved her as I did and her appearance and pain was heartbreaking but a calm hit me that we had “made it in time”. Thank God we didn’t wait til that morning to leave because as it turns out by the time we would have gotten there she would have already been out of it not recognizing or seeing us one last time.

Before long on that day things would take a turn in a bad direction and before my mom was able to be comforted by additional medications to relieve pain she wanted a ginger ale and a nurse named Teri searched two floors and found one for her. She loved the taste and I was grateful she did this for my mom. Not long after that she drifted in to a more comfortable place to sleep and it was in the early hours of the next morning my mother went to be with the Lord.

As I am starting to come out of my fog from the pain and loss I am remembering these two women that will always be special to me for giving me the gift of the knowledge to get to my mom’s bedside as soon as possible & another that gave her one last sip of normalcy with a simple can of ginger ale with a straw.

Thanks to you both. You two touched my life and gave me and my children the gift of seeing their grandmother one last time to say goodbye as well as tell her they loved her and another that provided comfort with one last drink of something she loved. I/We will never forget the two of you and your kindness. YOU both made a difference and you should know that.

XO & #Stay Curious