Judith Elaine Arnold Scharpen
Born 9/27/38, died 1/26/10
Rest In Peace
A week ago, almost to the minute, I got a phone call informing me that my mother had died. She died suddenly at home, surrounded by walls of books. Books have been a passion of hers for as far back as I can remember, and my brother, dad, and I have decided that a fitting tribute to her would be to donate the majority of her bookstore-sized collection back to the Cupertino Library, where she spent years working as a volunteer.
I'm still processing the fact that she is gone, and no doubt will be continuing to do so for quite some time.
I owe her my very existence, of course, and a lot of who I am today can also be credited to her. I will write more over the coming weeks, as things sink in and the process of wrestling with this new void in our lives unfolds. This is a time of sadness, but also of love and reflection.
I love you, mom. The world is not the same without you.
2 comments:
My heart sank low and sad to read that your mother has passed away. She does sound like a woman to write about. For now, I too am thinking of you.
x Lorelei
Thanks for the kind words, Lorelei.
I think my mom, if asked, would have preferred to have her life end this way - quickly, rather than lingering for months or years in a hospital or other facility. That's some consolation to the rest of us, at least.
A coworker friend of mine lost his dad last year, and he was remarking on how he discovered things he had never known about his dad as he sorted through his belongings. I'm finding that out too, and it's both interesting and sad. In some ways, it's ironic that we tend to become more interested in our family history as we age, but when we start asking questions, there are fewer people around to ask. I like to think that my mom would have appreciated that irony.
My biggest worry was having to tell Willow, but she handled it really well. We went to the park and she immediately asked me to put her up in a tree. She sat in the tree and we had a good talk. I love that she feels the healing power of the natural world.
all the best,
John
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