CREATIONS
BY
KAREN
BY
KAREN
IN MEMORY
THE LAST GOODBYE
As we pulled into the driveway of the cemetery for the Interment that crisp autumn morning, the funeral procession was greeted by a familiar face; for there lying in the grass next to the drive, as if to pay her last respects to Uncle Bob, was that familiar yellow tabby cat. She watched quietly as the hearse carrying Bob to his final resting place passed by her. Later, when we left the cemetery following the service, she had silently dismissed herself back to the barn. But somehow, I am sure the "Cat Whisperer" knew she'd be there to give him his last goodbye!
My husband's Uncle Bob claimed he didn't like cats. Odd, though, he had a particular yellow tabby cat that he had "trained" to hop on the fence rail, which surrounded the horse corral on their farm
. Once up, she would hop down again with just a little hand signal. His brother, Chuck, sometimes jokingly referred to Bob as "The Cat Whisperer.” But he would dismiss the comment as if it was no big deal. "Oh, it's just a cat," he'd say.
One fall October evening, in 2005, Uncle Bob passed away very unexpectedly. Plans were made for him to be buried at a cemetery where their farm land abuts about 1/4 mile from their farm house. . Once up, she would hop down again with just a little hand signal. His brother, Chuck, sometimes jokingly referred to Bob as "The Cat Whisperer.” But he would dismiss the comment as if it was no big deal. "Oh, it's just a cat," he'd say. As we pulled into the driveway of the cemetery for the Interment that crisp autumn morning, the funeral procession was greeted by a familiar face; for there lying in the grass next to the drive, as if to pay her last respects to Uncle Bob, was that familiar yellow tabby cat. She watched quietly as the hearse carrying Bob to his final resting place passed by her. Later, when we left the cemetery following the service, she had silently dismissed herself back to the barn. But somehow, I am sure the "Cat Whisperer" knew she'd be there to give him his last goodbye!
THE CLIPPING
The newspaper clipping that fell from our grandmother’s Bible was yellow and tattered. It wasn’t the actual the clipping my cousin, Pam, and I were looking for that day as we stood just moments before Grandmother’s graveside burial ser
vice, but something about it caught our eye. It was written to a popular advice columnist about an elderly 90-year-old woman who had fallen out of bed at a nursing home and had broken her hip. Due to complications the woman had been placed on a respirator for a long period of time before what the writer felt was a prolonged, unnatural death. In the article, the writer expressed her wishes that if something similar were to ever happen to her, she hoped her family would remove any type of life support, and give her whatever medications would be necessary to keep her comfortable and enable her to die with dignity.
For whatever reason, this newspaper column had spoken to Grandma, and it had meant enough to her to clip it out and place it in her Bible. And now, over 30 years later, “something” prompted Pam and I to find it at this precise moment. You see, just four days before, Grandma, 93, had broken her arm when she had fallen out of her own bed at the nursing home in which she herself had resided for several years. Several hours later, she, too, had developed complications and was placed on a respirator to help her breathe. And, although it was a hard decision to make, we all knew it was the right thing to do when the doctor removed her life support, and gave her medication to ease her pain in her final hours of life.
No, it was not by accident that Pam and I found the newspaper clipping that day. It was reassurance from God that we had fulfilled Grandma’s wishes!
BACK TO LIFE'S LITTLE LESSONS
vice, but something about it caught our eye. It was written to a popular advice columnist about an elderly 90-year-old woman who had fallen out of bed at a nursing home and had broken her hip. Due to complications the woman had been placed on a respirator for a long period of time before what the writer felt was a prolonged, unnatural death. In the article, the writer expressed her wishes that if something similar were to ever happen to her, she hoped her family would remove any type of life support, and give her whatever medications would be necessary to keep her comfortable and enable her to die with dignity. For whatever reason, this newspaper column had spoken to Grandma, and it had meant enough to her to clip it out and place it in her Bible. And now, over 30 years later, “something” prompted Pam and I to find it at this precise moment. You see, just four days before, Grandma, 93, had broken her arm when she had fallen out of her own bed at the nursing home in which she herself had resided for several years. Several hours later, she, too, had developed complications and was placed on a respirator to help her breathe. And, although it was a hard decision to make, we all knew it was the right thing to do when the doctor removed her life support, and gave her medication to ease her pain in her final hours of life.
No, it was not by accident that Pam and I found the newspaper clipping that day. It was reassurance from God that we had fulfilled Grandma’s wishes!
BACK TO LIFE'S LITTLE LESSONS
