(written 26 Nov 2009)
Dot was able to stay in a home environment up until 13th October 2009.
She had deteriorated and wasn't taking enough fluid or food ..
Carried her in my arms as she was too weak to walk .. gave her a shower with a beautiful frangranced wash,
washed her hair and put her in some nice clothes.
Rather than have her go to the hospital in an ambulance, drove her myself.
That way it was more personal, she had airconditioning & nice music to listen to on the drive.
Pointed out the clouds, flowering trees, birds & children on the footpath.
What I will always remember is that literally as the Hospital came into view, the song which came on the CD was Mirusia (from Andre Rieu's orchestra) singing"Time to Say Goodbye" ... It literally ended as I pulled up to the front hospital doors.
On the way home from the hospital later in the night, the song on the CD as I was leaving the hospital was
"Nearer My God to Thee" ..
No two songs could have been more appropriate.
She was moved to Palliative Care a couple of days later .. becaue she had done so many "out-of-the box" things in the last two years, why should the end be any different so on the last two nights, took up her favourite aromatherapy oil blend - rose and lavender (she’d had massages every fortnight for six months).
Dimmed the lights in her room .. put on relaxation nature music quietly .. and had an optic fibre angel casting soft changing rainbow-coloured lights. Massaged her face, arms and legs with the oil. Was a beautiful way to spend the time.
The next night took a few of the more upbeat CD’s that we listened to on our many long road trips ..
During those trips, would play the music at high volumes & sing along terribly; have the windows open and the wind streaming through our hair .. Mum would be laughing and it was beautiful.
I had a feeling that even though her life was nearing its end, it still could be joyful .. put on some old time piano, Elvis gospel and relaxation music but softly.. music that we listened to on EVERY outing in the car. What a joyous way to end a life ... she passed away about two hours after that.
She had passed away prior to 1.15am 19th Octobrer 2009.
I'd left at 10pm. I went back and sat with her for several hours ..
she looked so peaceful and beautiful .. all the struggle had ceased ..
sat with her in awe and wonderment at what she had achieved in her lifetime.
A little before 4am, a "thought" popped into my head to leave at 4.04 ..so I acted on the thought ..
Turned off the optic fibre angel and went to turn off the nature sound CD I had playing. It was on the last track
so thought I'd let it play out .. while waiting, checked the name of the song on the disc cover ..
The song was :
"Dreaming of Angels" .. and it finished at precisely 4.04 am.
That was the "Dot Magic" right to the end.
Post script .. used the same song we’d heard approaching the hospital
“Time to Say Goodbye”
to take her casket from the chapel to the grave.
*******
Woke up the next morning after the funeral and the first email was a daily inspiration quote:
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
It was so synchronistic, wrote to the author of that daily quote, Jonathan Lockwood-Huie in America
who has written "Simply an Inspired Life"
and mentioned how appropriate it was to Dot's story.
He looked at the site and soon after linked it with one of his
other daily quote mail-outs:
click this link: http://blog.dreamthisday.com/2009/10/helen-keller-quotes-life-is-either.html
and so the story continues ..
click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_y6uVlzJ3c
to see Mirusia singing "Time to Say Goodbye" ..
Dot had seen Mirusia perform at the 2008 Andre Rieu concert in Brisbane.