A Memorial for Mom

 

My mother-in-law went home to the Lord last month. After several months in hospice care, she had taken a swift decline. But thanks be to God, her passing was peaceful and we were by her side throughout the entire journey.

After 35 years of having her in my life as my other mother, I can say that she was loved and she will be missed. We grew closer than ever in our last years, and I will cherish the time we had with her.

We had a memorial for friends and family this weekend, and it was lovely, and just how she would have wanted it...nothing too fussy, but lots of memories shared, as well as sharing her faith and the impact that she had on so many others. And there was food, and cookies. She loved cookies!

She also loved tea, and had collected a lot of tea cups (and bells) on her travels throughout the years.

I decided to offer these as a gift to anyone who wanted a memento of her. I found this stamp sentiment in my stash, and it seemed perfect for the occasion. We used the tea cups and bells as centerpieces, and had small gift bags and tissue for wrapping and transporting.

At the end of the day, we had one tea cup and saucer leftover. 

This one is from an Ironstone pattern called Moss Rose. How perfect. I decided Mom meant this one for me.

We've been sorting through some of her belongings from storage, and going through lots of photos and mementos. We've been giving boxes of photos to her family as well. The photo sorting has been tough. It's something you can only do for about an hour or so before you start to feel a little melancholy over the passing of time.

Today, we are holding on to the good memories and finding comfort in a cup of tea.