She was staring at the glass of chocolate Ensure. “Annie” didn’t like chocolate but was so devout in her Catholicism that she did not want to offend Jesus. She looked up at me and asked, “Does Jesus like chocolate?” It was such a funny question and I stifled a laugh, because I knew she was [...]
Found 8 results
Negotiating with God, Dreaming of Chocolate Cake
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July 6, 2011
2 Responses
The first time I met “Gary,” we ended up talking for over two hours. He was in his late 60s and had throat cancer, evidenced by a protruding plum-sized tumor on his neck which he covered with turtlenecks. He explained his spiritual beliefs and told me he wasn’t afraid to die. In fact, when he [...]
Great Aunt Waits for God
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April 10, 2011
1 Response
My Great Aunt Alice was a pretty healthy 87 years old. She was spunky. I really thought I’d be submitting her picture to the Today show for the Smuckers jar profile when she turned 100. Then one a rainy day in April, I received the dreaded phone call. Aunt Alice had a sudden brain aneurysm [...]
Mother’s Necklace is More Than Just Jewelry
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March 5, 2011
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I wore the necklace with the tiny multicolored beads every day. Its primary color was black but there were also blues, greens, reds and white. I liked the necklace because it was unique and because it matched my wardrobe. It was my favorite. I was on vacation and in a hotel room in Las Vegas [...]
At the Bedside: Perhaps the Hokey Pokey IS What it’s All About
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August 26, 2010
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It was a Friday night when I received a call from my Uncle Paul who told me that my Aunt Jerry, who had end-stage Alzheimer’s disease, had suffered two seizures and a heart attack and was in the hospital. With her condition, one might have expected that she might have died the next day. She [...]
Animal-Human Connection Lives on After Death
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March 21, 2010
2 Responses
I am a cat-lover, I will admit it. Growing up, I had cats here and there, but my dad was really intolerant of the normal pet things like fleas and “accidents” on the carpets, so I never had a cat for very long. I had one kitten for four days; then he discovered it had [...]
Best Years With Mom Came Later
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May 7, 2009
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By Elizabeth Miles — At 17, when I was told by my Uncle Paul that I was “just like my mother,” I cringed. Why would I want to be like her? At that time my mother was down on herself. She would spend days without leaving the house or even the couch. She wanted to [...]
Can We Enjoy Pavarotti at the Deathbed?
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March 18, 2009
1 Response
By Elizabeth Miles – On a Friday in January of 2003, I get a phone call from my step mom. My aunt, my dad’s sister Shirley, has a pneumonia, it’s bad, she’s in hospice and could die any day now. I feel guilty for not visiting her over the past few years. She was living [...]
