The Laughing Wolf

Passing Into The Light

Teresa has lost her mother-in-law. While the death was not unexpected in one sense, it was not anticipated this close to Christmas. Please take a moment and extend your sympathies, and keep the family in your thoughts during this time.

Losing a loved one during the holidays can be rough, if not outright devastating. To my mind, however, I can’t think of a better time for a Christian to “return home.” Part of this comes from having my Mom die on Christmas Eve. She had waged a long, spirited fight against ovarian cancer, and in the process helped prove Taxol as a treatment. We knew the end was near, but she wanted to be home for Christmas. That was what she said, and per her wishes we had her at home.

Christmas was always one of her favorite times, and I suspect it was her favorite day of the year. It was a day of joy, of family, of giving, and of something special. She was very devout in her beliefs, and the birth and sacrifice represented by the holiday struck a chord in her.

The time drew near and we all were finally home. Not long after I arrived, she started her final journey, but it was clear that she was fighting. Sometime the morning of Christmas Eve, something changed and the fighting stopped. Not long after, so did she.

To be honest, I was relieved as much as anything, for she no longer suffered. I worried more about the children, how to explain it to them, but there was no need. They understood even before it could be said: she had gone home for Christmas. She had gone to what she felt was her true and ultimate home, and I tend to suspect that such may have been why she quit fighting.

No, it is never easy but maybe thinking about such loss in these terms can bring some comfort to all those who lose a loved one during the holidays.

LW