Tender Mercy #1 - Dad got to see her that morning. He had taken some fresh fruit for her to enjoy.
Tender Mercy #2 - Two days earlier, Tuesday, was a good day. Ireta knew who she was, where she was, and what was going on. It was a lucid day. She and Dad had a nice talk about things. She made sure he knew where here Temple clothes were so she could be buried in them. She talked with several of us on the phone.
Tender Mercy #3 - That day, she told Dad that when he missed her, he could just hug her pillow... We thought this pillow was lost... Although it was just a pillow, it was HER pillow, and she had said this to my dad, so it had more meaning than ever... We found it in the center's laundry. It was a special moment.
Tender Mercy #4 - Finances are tight, cash-flow is almost non-existant. The Lord timed things so as to just avoid this additional stress by one day.
Tender Mercy #5 - Several daughters and some grandchildren had the opportunity to visit with her before she left.
Tender Mercy #6 - I was able to leave my job for most of July in order to help Mom and Dad during those difficult times before the very end. I gathered pictures and stories. I helped with the physical needs and eased some of the emotional burden during that time.
Tender Mercy #7 - Mom only had one day of discomfort. Although she had cancer somewhere in her body that then mastatized and landed in her brain, she never felt pain or discomfort except for the day before she died; she said her stomach hurt. What a blessing that she didn't suffer!
I could go on and on... I am so thankful! What a joy she has been in my life and in the lives of others I love!
What an example she was to me of helping others feel loved!
She was never stingy with a compliment, and took every opportunity to express her love!
Healthy at the beginning of 2011... Then, 6 months later...
July 2011
Her resurrected loveliness...
