Two weeks ago we turned the page in a chapter in many lives. We said goodbye to my mother-in-law. For the last five years or so I have thought of writing about my mother-in-law and resisted, she had Alzheimer's. As my cousin said so eloquently in her card,
" Alzheimer's takes our loved ones from us even before God does." We watched an intelligent, vibrant, involved, energetic woman slowly lose herself. Over the course of ten days I went to two funerals for Alzheimer's patients, my unlce's and my mother-in-law's. What a cruel disease. Both people were true forces in their lives and lived them to the fullest and both became shadows of themselves while dealing with Alzheimer's. We are turning the page to the next chapter without them.
I learned a lot from my mother-in-law. One of the biggest things I learned from her was how to entertain. I met her when I was 19 years old and had no idea how to cook for a family or throw a party. My family was never big on "entertaining". My Mother still plans for weeks when she has bridge club at her house and a party would take months of stress and planning. Our house was never "that house"... the one that always had something going on and people visiting and hanging out... my husband's house was. I always wanted to have "that house". I learned how to cook a beautiful meal for a large group from my mother-in-law. She did it with such ease....and sometimes chaos....and I loved it and learned by watching and helping. She loved to have people over to the house. She welcomed me and I thank her. She taught me and I thank her. She loved our family and we loved her.
This weekend we celebrate Easter. It kind of puts things in perspective. We will celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection. We have eternal life because of His death and resurrection. We are able to say goodbye to the people we love with the faith that they will live in their heavenly reward because of Easter. Happy Easter!
