The Mother of Eight
On Monday morning Michelle, who was the mother of eight children from ages 2-15, died from cardiac arrest. Her husband is a physician so I am sure that as she arrested in the early morning hours he knew from the very start that he would loose her. She had had cancer, but was doing very well so this was quite a shock.
I didn't know Michelle very well. And as I am terrible with names I had a difficult time picturing her when I heard of her death. But then I put the name and the face together. She will be forever in my mind...
I distinctly remember chatting with Michelle on a warm day sitting outside in the country at the Novititate of the Community of St. John. We had never really spoken at length, though we had seen each other many times at Community functions. I looked over and noticed that Michelle was wearing a "Circle of Life" bracelet. These bracelets were sold in the 1970s to protest the passage of Roe v. Wade and they were modeled after the Vietnam POW bracelets that had been so popular. Michelle was the only person I ever saw wearing one of those bracelets other than my Dad. My Dad always wore the bracelet, vowing not to remove it until Roe v. Wade was overturned, she had made the same vow.
Now Michelle is in heaven and I'm sure that she has met my Dad and they are talking about those bracelets, and working together against Roe v. Wade.
As hard as it was to loose my Dad I cannot imagine what Michelle's children and husband must be feeling. Please keep them all in your prayers.
UPDATE: A friend who attended the funeral this morning called to say she was glad I didn't come, it was of course very sad and emotional. There were ELEVEN priests concelebrating Michelle's funeral mass, including her spiritual director who flew in from overseas. The church was also packed. Sigh, may God bless those who are left here in this valley of tears.
Another UPDATE: I found out recently that Michelle's husband Greg (who is an ER doc) was the one who told the residents who were trying to save her to stop, to let her go. God bless him for his courage.
I didn't know Michelle very well. And as I am terrible with names I had a difficult time picturing her when I heard of her death. But then I put the name and the face together. She will be forever in my mind...
I distinctly remember chatting with Michelle on a warm day sitting outside in the country at the Novititate of the Community of St. John. We had never really spoken at length, though we had seen each other many times at Community functions. I looked over and noticed that Michelle was wearing a "Circle of Life" bracelet. These bracelets were sold in the 1970s to protest the passage of Roe v. Wade and they were modeled after the Vietnam POW bracelets that had been so popular. Michelle was the only person I ever saw wearing one of those bracelets other than my Dad. My Dad always wore the bracelet, vowing not to remove it until Roe v. Wade was overturned, she had made the same vow.
Now Michelle is in heaven and I'm sure that she has met my Dad and they are talking about those bracelets, and working together against Roe v. Wade.
As hard as it was to loose my Dad I cannot imagine what Michelle's children and husband must be feeling. Please keep them all in your prayers.
UPDATE: A friend who attended the funeral this morning called to say she was glad I didn't come, it was of course very sad and emotional. There were ELEVEN priests concelebrating Michelle's funeral mass, including her spiritual director who flew in from overseas. The church was also packed. Sigh, may God bless those who are left here in this valley of tears.
Another UPDATE: I found out recently that Michelle's husband Greg (who is an ER doc) was the one who told the residents who were trying to save her to stop, to let her go. God bless him for his courage.
posted by Daughter of St. John | 7:13 PM
1 Comments:
wow...i can't imagine the hardship that family is going through...she sounds like she was quite the lady...
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