Making the Best of the Month of March

February 28, 2014- Five years ago, Robbie and I were in Maine for a hockey tournament. I had left town knowing my Mom was being seen for a lump in her breast and other testing to see if the cancer had spread. I will never forget, standing in the lobby of the restaurant, taking a call from my sister. The cancer had indeed spread. It is was in her liver. It was stage 4. My mom got on the phone and we chatted for a few minutes. I never felt more alone or scared than I did that night. I did not want Robbie to know anything was wrong, so I wiped the tears and joined him and his team mates for dinner. Later that night, my friend Kim and her son, Daniel, would make the drive to Maine, so I would not feel so alone. I am forever grateful for that. That is true friendship.

So, why am I telling you all this? Well, as I mentioned, in the “About Me” section of this blog, my Mom’s death has been a major factor in a lot of the things I have done over the last few years. Losing her so young (only 61), made me realize how precious life is. We are only on this Earth for a very short time and no one knows when that time is up. We have to take chances, go for those dreams, live life to the fullest. Her death changed me.

Mom was diagnosed on February 28, 2014 and died on March 24, 2014. She was gone in less than a month. March was already a tough month for my family. We lost both my grandmothers and an uncle in the month of March. Now with Mom gone, March has become that much harder. I remember those weeks leading up to her death and how quickly she deteriorated. I remember crying myself to sleep and consoling my boys as they watched her slip away. I remember the pain on my Dad’s face, as he lost his one true love. In light of this, I thought I would try something new this year. I thought I would use this platform, and throughout the month of March, tell you a bit about my Mom and share my favorite things about her. I want to remember the happy this March and not the sad. So over the next few weeks, I hope you will join me and follow along, as I share my Mom with all of you. For those of you that knew her, I would love for you to share your favorite story about her as well.

Jeanne, Mom, Grammy

About The Author

Heather

8 COMMENTS

  1. jen | 14th Mar 19

    What a great way to honor your mom! Thank you for sharing your story!

  2. Jodi | 14th Mar 19

    My heart goes out to you. This is a beautiful post, so raw and real and such a great way to turn loss and pain into something a little less terrible. I look forward to catching up on your March posts and following along.

  3. Rhoy | 14th Mar 19

    Thanks so much for sharing, what an amazing post !

    • Heather | 14th Mar 19

      Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

  4. Traci | 15th Mar 19

    This post really hit me hard in the heart. I feel for you and your family. We just lost my mom 7 weeks ago, also to cancer. She was diagnosed in May 2012 with stage 4. They couldn’t figure out what type of cancer it was until this past December (2018- turned out to be lung). We were very blessed to have her with us for so long but even knowing that it was coming it has been very hard and raw.
    She went in for an appointment on a Wednesday and they said she had about three weeks, we lost her three days later. I live 2/3 across the country and wasn’t able to get back to say goodbye, nor did my children. The last time I spoke with her was when she told me they were only giving her three weeks.
    Although losing her has been the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with, what is even harder is to see the hurt my dad is going through. They were high school sweethearts, together for 45 years.
    Sorry to go on with my story, I just feel it is healing to share with others who also have been there.

    • Heather | 16th Mar 19

      Traci: First, I am so sorry for your loss. At times it truly seems unbearable. I am not going to say it gets easier, it is just different without them. We settle into a new norm. Your parent’s story sounds like my parents. They were high school sweethearts as well. They had been married 42 years and together even longer. It is so hard to see them go through the loss as well. We still worry about him, but he is getting along and keeps busy. Please know I am thinking of you and your family. Thank you for sharing your story and please, feel free to reach out.

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