80 Thankyous
80 Thank you’s
Early in 2009 my dear mother received news of a terminal bowel cancer. Her instruction to her 8 children and their families was “This journey does not need to be serious”. At 85 years of age and legally blind these were words of great courage.
The next six months were filled with gatherings of our clan, sometimes in small groups, sometimes in numbers too large for her little home, hospital room and eventually her nursing home. There was much joy along the way.
Mum had palliative surgery during Holy Week. A visit from Leonie Rastas from PHNA on Easter Sunday was to deliver a special gift of a Prayer Shawl and a Pocket Heart. My mother was always reluctant to discuss her ill-health. We were surprised at the ease with which she accepted the Prayer Shawl and the “little heart” with the message that it carried. She squeezed it regularly and would allow her children and grand-children to hold and squeeze it when they visited.
After the surgery and almost three weeks in hospital Mum became very frail. Her body was wasting and her weight loss extreme. She was always cold to touch. One day she asked for the Prayer Shawl to be placed around her. She kept saying that it felt ’surprisingly’ comforting. It was light in weight and wrapped her well. One day the shawl disappeared. It had inadvertently been taken off to the laundry. Mum was upset. I rang to tell Leonie and her reply was “Ask Mum what colour she would like her next shawl to be”. 2 days later her chosen pink and yet another shawl in pink and mauve arrived. Mum loved her shawls. She must have asked 50 times to be sure to say “thank you” to you all and a special thank you to Anne Rowan.
Some of Mum’s dying days were very difficult and very long. Many people visited. When she died on September 4th everyone knew about the Prayer Shawl and the Little Heart.
As we gathered to proceed into St Mary’s Cathedral for Mum’s Requiem Mass each of the 80 family members carried a “little coloured heart”. We were connected as one by the little hearts. They beautifully symbolised Mum’s love of sewing and cloth. We are so grateful to Mrs Geraldine Day for the hand=made, blanket-stitched, felt hearts. I will always remember Mum holding her little heart and wrapped in the soft pink shawl. She knew she was wrapped in prayer.
Mum’s last words to me were “God is good”. God’s goodness is revealed through the good works of His People. Thank you for being the people of God. Your ministries are very special.
Please be very sure that you and the work of PHNA are in our family prayer. Thank you once again.
God’s abundant blessings.
