Sad News For Our Beloved Claudia – IOTW Report

Sad News For Our Beloved Claudia

Mom went to Heaven Sunday morning at 11:30am. She was 93 years old. Because of her advanced cancer, she was put in Hospice care about 6 weeks ago. She didn’t suffer much; just increasing weakness and a loss of cognitive ability. She was pretty content there and enjoyed visits from her children (there are five of us).

We knew late Friday that she was rapidly declining. My visit with her on Saturday was difficult; yet a blessing. She had trouble communicating, so we didn’t say much. I just held her hand for a couple of hours. One time, she caught me with tears running down my face. The clearest words she said all day was, “You’re crying”. I said, “Yes. But it’s ok, Mom. I love you”, and she smiled.

Late Saturday, Mom had a seizure and was not responding to anyone but did not seem distressed. Sunday, Hospice called at 6:30am and said that she had another seizure and was “transitioning”. As each of us arrived, we touched her face and told her we loved her. She was unresponsive to anything so we just sat with her, talked to each other about our lives growing up; sometimes laughing and sometimes crying. I know that she felt our love. Then, at her last breath, we knew that she was finally meeting Jesus. She always told us she looked forward to meeting him first when she made it to Heaven. She is also with Dad and she is finally whole.

I thank God for my family and that we all are believers. We will be together again someday. We are sad for our loss, but not for Mom. She is Home.

Claudia

89 Comments on Sad News For Our Beloved Claudia

  1. Sad news to hear from a friend.
    My prayers for you and your Mom, as she enters into the joys of eternal peace.
    Your faith is well founded, and you have our love and support.

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  2. She lost this battle but in the end she won the war! Praying for you and your family. God will use this to strengthen your faith in Him and your love for Him even more. God Bless

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  3. How sad to lose one’s dear mother, no matter what age. Prayers for peace for the family knowing that she is in God’s hand and reuniting with others who have gone before her.
    A tribute to a woman who raised 5 loving and caring children, bless you all.

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  4. I am SO very SORRY for your loss Claudia. I lost my younger brother to Cancer in 2017 and my father last year so I definitely feel your pain. Know that she is in a better place today and that you will see her again in heaven.

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  5. My sympathy goes to you and all your family, Claudia. You can take comfort in knowing she is in a better places and healthy again but that does not take the pain away for those left behind.

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  6. My deepest sympathy and sincere condolences, Claudia. My Grandmother and Mom lived to their 90s in my family. That is quite an accomplishment.

    Fondness is strength.

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  7. So very sorry for your loss, Claudia. It took me back to sitting with my beloved mom as she left this world. So painless, but her suffering is over. God bless you and your family as you grieve.

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  8. We are very sorry for your loss, Dear Claudia. That was a most touching story you wrote us all. At least she was surrounded by the most important and loving accomplishments in her life at the end – and knew it! Our deepest sympathies and best wishes. Mr. and Mrs. forcibly deranged

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  9. Thanks for sharing your dear Mom’s Homegoing, Claudia. May God comfort you and your family with sweet memories of her. Her legacy lives on in you. God bless!

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  10. I’m very sorry to hear of your loss, Claudia. There is a unique sadness when we lose our Mom’s. Take time to let yourself grieve.

    She’s gone but lucky for us she left a part of her endearing self on Earth: you.

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  11. I’m sorry for your loss, Claudia. How comforting that you and your family were able to be with her and be together as she left this world and went home.

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  12. May God’s love strengthen and support you and all your family members at this time, Claudia. Lean on Him for all your needs, and let the love of friends comfort you as each day passes.

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  13. I am terrible at expressing my thoughts at situations like this. That she had a loving family at her side is the most heartwarming thing I could ever imagine for a loving mother. Not every family gets that kind of love. Tremendously special.
    Love to Claudia. And family.

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  14. The deep sadness when we lose a parent stays with us, but we move forward with the joyous belief, faith, and trust in Jesus’ words. They are in a better place and we will join them and Him soon.
    Prayers and blessings on you and your entire family as you move through this time of grief.

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  15. It sounds like your family helped her all the way over. You can’t ask for anything greater than family unity at these times. Sounds like God had blessed her many times along her path through life…

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  16. Deepest condolences to you and your family. Dove just landed in the sycamore in front of the window looking down at me as I type this. May you find and keep peace, serenity and acceptance as you work through this difficult time…

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  17. Bless you love you peace with you DRINK BOURBON
    love General & Generalina

    (we’re likely facing the same in a few weeks, as mother-in-law may need an operation that has 50/50 chances…drink heavily and God bless!)

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  18. Thank you all for your love and kindness. I will relay your prayers and well wishes to my family. With tears, I tell you that I love my iOTWr family very much. You are such a blessing to me.

    I probably will not be around much for the next few days. Heading off now to my sister’s to plan a pictorial memorial of Mom’s life. We have a huge box of photos to go through. I’m sure we will be heading off to memory lane for most of the night!

    God bless you all and thank you.

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  19. …my heart goes out to you for your loss, Claudia, the more so today because I just got back from the cemetary where we buried my father, whose birthday was today. And even though it was over two decades ago, I’d be lying if I told you it doesn’t still hurt. Though my loss is leavened by the blessed assurance that he is with the Lord, Claudia…it is still MY loss, and I miss him even today.

    But I can also delight that the Lord saw fit that we were allowed many years together, and I have the memories of those years to treasure during my time of abiding, until He sees fit to reunite us in Heaven.

    …and so must it be with you, Claudia. The Lord saw to it to end your mother’s suffering, only to call her to His side and cloak her in His glory in flesh incorruptible, in which you will see her one day, when He decides your race is run. You still have your work to do with we on Earth for a time, though, so do what you must, love who you know, and work for the Lord to advance His kingdom…but remember her, and draw from her example to strengthen your life and the lives of those you love.

    You are her continuance. Living in happiness and joy will help others to see her teachings reflected in you.

    Her eternal reward is assured, so my thoughts and prayers, and those of your Iotw family must turn to you and yours that are still among us. So to that, I offer this prayer.

    Dear Lord, we stand before you in joy for another of your children that You have called home, but our joy is leavened with greif for those who must toil yet in her wake. Please, Lord, strengthening their hearts to be able to withstand this greif that they may carry on with what they must do, and send the Comforter to give them Your blessed assurance that she that they so loved is with You this day, and that they will be reunited with her at Your feet in Your time, and that we’ll understand it better by and by. We thank You for purchasing us this grace in Your sight with the precious Blood of Your son, whose name we praise in glory. We thank you for Your help in this difficult time in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen

    God Bless you, Claudia,
    SNS

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  20. Isn’t it wonderful when we know that our loved ones know Christ! And we will be seeing them again! Your Mom had no fear of death. You are blessed. Your whole family is blessed.

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  21. What should one say to another when this happens? We all know from a young age that death is the natural result of life, no matter how we fight it.

    “I’m sorry.” followed by, “Thank you.” don’t really seem appropriate for life-changing events such as this. But what else do we have?

    When the river bursts it’s banks and swamps whole towns – everything you ever knew – and the storm hasn’t even landed yet, “I’m sorry” seems downright petty. And replying, “Thank you.” seems just as worthless. But what else do we have?

    How does one even attempt to struggle for words we’re all sure *must* somehow exist, but have never been spoken? How does one express the profound solidarity with another we’ve come to love, in a circumstance we’ve all come to hate?

    The Bible clearly offers hope – even certainty – for the future, but what of us here and now? How are we to help another understand that we understand, and that she is cherished all the more?

    I don’t have the answers to any of these questions. I doubt anyone does, as even Jesus cried at the death of his friend, knowing full well that He’d summon him back to life. How, then, can we mere mortals hope to do any better?

    Again, I don’t know. But I do know that trying is strangely helpful; that telling you, Claudia, that we know the indescribable pain and ache with you (because we’ve come to love you), can take just the slightest edge off. And at the moments when it hurts the worst, just knowing that you don’t carry the burden alone is worth so much more than it really seems it should.

    So while I can still see through the tears welling up in my eyes – I’m so sorry, our cherished Claudia. When words fail us, I guess the only thing left at our disposal is simple human contact. Wish I were there to sit with you and offer a shoulder to cry on. We’d all cry with you.

    With great sincerity and empathy,
    Sturge

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  22. Try to remember the belly laughs you shared with your Mom. Those are certainly the best memories.
    God bless little sis.

    I’m dreading the day my mom goes. She’s 86 and has issues. But we still laugh ourselves silly.
    I love that part.

    7
  23. Oh Claudia, I am so sorry about your loss but happy for your Mom and being with your Dad. My 2nd Mom died last Monday at 92 so I like to think that your Mom is hanging out with her as well. I am glad you were able to be there with her and your family. I will be praying that all of y’all find that wonderful peace that passes all understanding from our Lord and Savior.

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  24. 93 years and so many blessings she received, 5 children and all the blessings she shared with you and your family.
    Claudia you are so fortunate.
    May your family spend this time of loss honoring, sharing and remembering the stories of your Mother’s life.
    Blessings !

    5
  25. VERY SORRY, CLAUDIA. YOU WROTE A BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE, AND YOU HAVE A GREAT FAMILY TO LEAN ON. I AM HAPPY FOR YOUR MOM’S PEACE, AND WE THANK HER AND YOUR DAD FOR GIVING YOU TO US.

    GODSPEED.

    5
  26. O God, who hast commanded us to honor our father and our mother; in Thy mercy have pity on the souls of Claudia’s father and mother and forgive them their trespasses; and allow her to see them again in the joy of everlasting brightness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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  27. Well stated.Been there twice now
    and I actually do know what you
    are feeling… God Bless all in your family.
    God will give you strength in ways you
    can’t imagine.

    3
  28. My condolences to you, Claudia and your family. It is heartening that you and your’s have faith in God therefore I’d like to quote the apostle Paul who reminded us to comfort one another with these words:

    “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
    1 Thes 4:13-17

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  29. Claudia, my condolences and sympathy for you and your family.

    “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8.”

    Pray you have peace that passes all understanding during this time.

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  30. We weep with you not just for the ache in your heart, but also at such beauty to be found in the end, surrounded and lifted up in great love. What blessings to be found in such a family, a testament to the woman she was and always will be.

    5
  31. I want to thank you all, again, for your kind words. I take great comfort from your words and have been in tears knowing how total strangers could come together to become so important to me; and to each other.

    I have told my siblings to read this as I believe they will also be encouraged and helped by what you all have said.

    Thank you and God bless you.

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  32. Oh, Claudia, I’m just now seeing this! I’m so sorry for the loss of your mom. It’s a blessing you and your siblings were able to have some time with her. She knew you were there, I have no doubt.

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