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TIPS FOR SUPPORTING YOUR PARENT IN THE LOSS OF A SPOUSE

He softly caressed her hand and tears flowed from those pale blue eyes as the love of his life slipped into another world. It had been a long struggle with sugar diabetes, and the complications resulting from the disease eventually took my mother's life. For 57 years Mom and Dad had been "one". As he turned away from her bedside and walked a few steps away, I noticed that my brother showed no compassion toward him, so I rushed to Dad's side to hug him and try to comfort him during this "worst moment of his life". He had known for months that her disease was worsening and time was running out for her. However, to now face that moment in time without his children comforting him would have been a horrible thing to go through.

The loss of my precious mother felt like a hole had been ripped out of my heart a hole that nothing could fill. I tried to comfort my Dad the best I could at a time like this. Later in the day we all went to the funeral home to make the arrangements. That was the hardest thing we had ever faced as a family. When we walked into the casket room to pick one out for Mom, I know my Dad felt a solemn emptiness in his heart to know that he had to pick out a casket for his sweetheart of 57 years.
That weekend was long as family and friends came by or called to try to comfort us. On the night of her funeral, there was a terrible storm outside. It seemed like the angels were crying with us. To know that our loved one was ready to meet the Lord was a great comfort to our family. Maybe the angels were crying for joy that a saint had come home.
Ashes to ashes and dust to dusta few comments and a song, and then Mom was lowered into the ground. Our emotions were now having to begin to adjust to the fact that Mom was no longer with us.
Following the interment and for the next week or so, cards & calls continued to flow in to the family. It was a great comfort to know that our friends were concerned and praying for us. My brother lived about a mile from Dad, so I assumed he would go over there every day for a while to check on Dad and try to comfort him. However, this turned out not to be the case. At times during our lives, Dad had done things that we children didn't appreciate. I'll admit, there were ill feelings there. However, after Mom's death, I determined in my heart that I was going to put the feelings behind me, forgive, and do what I could to

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