Over the last few weeks, I have been witness to a family's out pouring of love, pain and now finally, grief.
Judy was a member of my extended US family and had been afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease for the last ten years. Of course, I never knew her in her heyday.
Gayle and I were priveleged to have spent the last hours with Judy and her two daughters as her long fight came to a close.

The love that I have seen today, the rawness of true pain, true loss and the realization that Judy would no longer be a part of her chidren's lives makes everything that I can try to communicate, insipid.

The daughters called the hospice room, the honesty box. Everyone that came into the room was overcome with the feeling that they had to bear all - a sort of Truth Serum was in the air.

I have learned more about Judy's daughters in these last few days, than I could've learned in a lifetime.

I have a renewed pride in having been chosen to be included in this family.

There were moments of levity as the Truth Serum kicked in, the stories that may never have been told while she was alive, the way that she loved her family, the way that she dealt with adversity.

I have learned a lot tonight - nothing that I wanted to learn, perhaps something that I needed to learn.

I know you through the love of your daughters - you were a good woman.

RIP Judy



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