A person dying in the hospital, her family aware of her impending demise, and she was alone, except for staff at the end. The television was on a Catholic religious channel, and she left after mass this morning. She was an elder, and had celebrated her last birthday while in the hospital. Cards, balloons, notes and stuffed animals held vigil with the nurses; the family members didn't respond to the telephone messages to please call the ICU.

I used to think that I would prefer to die alone, to save my family a small part of the grieving process...don't look, and it won't hurt. That isn't true, of course. It robs those who are close, of the celebration of the life/love/foibles, the uniqueness of the individual. It steals the last chance to forgive, or be forgiven, to laugh or cry (or both) over special times and memories.

and it happens all the time...

A simple kindness with a love note signed with a lipstick kiss.

Also post #221 by midwest chick.

Cry
 

It makes me sad that our grandchildren and children have to grow up in a world and ask questions like Grandma will there be anymore bombings. WTF!

We have the most gratifying , most depressing , most stressful, most disgusting , most Amazing jobs being nurses , ya know . Start a nurse thread for us to post and get it all out , vent , laugh and such. Not many understand the intensity of our Jobs , especially icu .

My son left this morning to start his new life across the country and though I am happy for him I will miss him something fierce.......

Me too. I thought we were supposed to be past this by now. Sometimes I think our enlightened times are not very enlightened at all.

Serious answer now...
 

Looking at the pictures from Wilcox County's First Integrated Prom on Facebook.

They were happy/sad tears... Sad because this is frelling 2013 and integrated Proms should't be a Thing in this day and age. The fact that there are still a few of them in this country is shameful.

BUT happy tears because hello? Awesome integrated Prom! Planned and thrown by the kids themselves. (Kids these days! Are awesome!) Loved the pictures and loved some of the dresses... If I were ever to have a chance to go to a Prom (because I missed both of mine) I would want something like that awesome tiered peachy one.

Dentist
 

Went to have a temporary crown replaced with a permanent crown. Ended up having a 3 hour surgery. 20 shots and 35 stitches later....I cried during the shots to the roof of my mouth. Had no idea it hurt like that! And I never cry!

Aaawe, I hate dentist stuff too! Did they root canal you? I had to get one last time that happened to me. For what it's worth, I cried too! Hope you're better soon!

What made me cry today?

My pain. I am so fucking sick of being in pain! I dont see an end in sight with my pain. I wake up in pain and I go to sleep in pain. You'd think after 5 years I would be in less pain. All the doctors I see cannot seems to do anything about it. I really think some of them think I am just a drug seeking moron. UGH!!!!!!

No root canal thank goodness! Bone graft and removal of 3 failed implants. Thank you I am actually feeling ok, not really any pain but I do look like I was in a boxing match.

Ouch! Get some frozen peas. They really worked last year when I had my jaws reset. Yes, it was painful!

The unexpected death of a very good friend from High School. Woke up this morning to a phone call from her mom. It's a beautiful spring day outside and it seems wrong somehow, that it's spring and Dana's going to miss it.

Today I found out that my 1st/2nd grade teacher passed away about 5 years ago... I had been trying to locate her online. I so wanted to see her again and thank her for giving me such a wonderful educational foundation....

It was this afternoon, while making something to eat for my youngest son and I.
I was sharing a very real concern with my son that will affect the two of us and out nowhere, he told me not to worry - that he'd take care of it, if push came to shove. Which, of course, then he followed up with telling me something that touched my heart so deeply. He realises how incredibly hard it's been on me over the years, being the sole provider of our little family and that while, proverbially, his hands are tied at the moment, he says to me that everything will be okay. Then he hugged me.

And then, my tears fell.