© 2023 by Christy K Robinson
On Jan. 4-5, 1993, I spent the entire night in my mom's ICU room, holding her hand and reading the Bible to her as she lay in a coma. My dad had kissed her goodbye and gone home, and my brother was living two hours away, with a young family and a driving route that took him out of town. So it was down to me.
She'd nearly died 10 months before, and recovered. She said she'd heard me reading the Bible to her then, even in her coma, and it was precious to her, so I brought my Bible with me this time and did the same thing.
It was a very intimate time, just mother and daughter at the end of one life before she began another. She saw me take my first breath, and I saw her take her last. I won't describe my thoughts then, but it wasn't the same sort of grief as when my dad died, far away, 19 years later. I still miss my mother, 30 years later, but there's so much of her in me, both in my DNA, and in who I am at my core, that there's been a reconciliation of what was and what is.
There's so much of her in me, both in my DNA,
and in who I am at my core,
that there's been a reconciliation
of what was and what is
Though she still breathed another six hours, I believe her spirit left her a little after 4:00am. Something so profound took place then, that I looked up at her monitors to see if she'd awakened. But nothing had changed physically. Though I continued to hold her hand and watched her take breaths, she was no longer with me. And I was comforted anyway because I knew she was no longer in pain, and was where she wanted to be.
I thought I was alone there, waiting for all signs to cease before I went home and called my dad and brother. But about 7:30, my friend, Dr. Keith Mack, came on duty and learned I was there. He came into the room and wrapped me in his arms. What a dear thing to do. It was no coincidence. God knew what I needed and his timing was flawless.
I remember with love, Judith Anson Robinson, 1937-1993.
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Christy K Robinson is author of these books (click the colored title):
We Shall Be Changed (2010)
Mary Dyer Illuminated Vol. 1 (2013)
Mary Dyer: For Such a Time as This Vol. 2 (2014)
The Dyers of London, Boston, & Newport Vol. 3 (2014)
Effigy Hunter (2015)
And of these sites:
Discovering Love (inspiration and service)
Rooting for Ancestors (history and genealogy)
William and Mary Barrett Dyer (17th century culture and history of England and New England)
Editornado [ed•i•tohr•NAY•doh] (Words. Communications. Book reviews. Cartoons.)
