MomMom

My MomMom passed away on Saturday, April 17th. She was 89 years old, living with dementia in a nursing home. She got up to go to the bathroom, got back in bed and passed away. Just like that. Peaceful. In her sleep.

89 years of life, 89 years of memories - many forgotten by her at the end, but still living fresh in the hearts and minds of her daughters and friends.

89 YEARS.

She experienced years of joy;
Years of new life - giving birth and raising 4 girls;
Years of joy and love shared with a husband whom she adored and who adored her;
Years of singing and dancing with her husband and her daughters in the living room as she taught them all the jidderbug and the words to the songs of the 40's and 50's;
Years of sorrow as her husband passed away from cancer;
Years of rebuilding as she worked full-time and built a life with husband gone and daughters grown;
Years of golf, golf, and more golf.....well into her 60's and 70's (I think.....she golfed a long time, that's all I know!);
Years of Christmas parties for her daughters and grandchildren and great grandchildren - with slightly-odd presents from at-home-catalogs that gave everyone a giggle (she gave me my first muff - I didn't even know what a muff was until I received it from MomMom when I was about 15!! Seriously, how do you hide the laughter as you look frantically around the room hoping for at least one of your aunts or cousins to give you some indication what you're supposed to do with the lump of fur on your lap....quick!! so you can say thank you to MomMom before she realizes that you have no idea what she just gave you!!! Thanks Aunt Jo - you're always my "go-to" person for my presents.....that is if you can stop laughing long enough to mouth the words to me!!)
Years of sparkles, seaquins, fuschia belts with matching shoes, earrings, bracelets, and lipstick.
Years of jokes, songs, dancing, and sports.
And finally, Years of aging.
But as her memory seemed to fade, she was surrounded by the love and committment of four daughters who held her up and cared for her daily until she fell asleep.

A life well lived, a life lived hard, a life enjoyed, a full, full, life.

May all of us seek the joys in life like you did MomMom!