It's been a sad few weeks

We lost my hubby's mother last week (9th November). She was 94. She rarely ever was sick and so to see her in hospital, even for just 9 short days, was so unreal. Just a few days before she went into hospital she was amazingly still driving and living independently, doing her own cooking etc.
It was very hard to let go, no matter how long they have lived for, it is never enough.

Groot Oma with one of  her Great Great grandchildren, Miriam

We are so thankful to God for her life in so many ways. Her love for the Lord was passed down the generations, with 2 grand daughters serving God as ministers and 2 son in laws  (not hubbys of the aforementioned girls) studying or serving God as ministers. She was not perfect and strived to improve herself daily. She was an extremely industrious person especially with her crafts. We have started to clear out her place (it must be vacated within a fortnight!) and are amazed at the volume of her variety & volume of crafts and the exquisite fine crocheting she was still accomplishing in her final months! She was a person who did not sit at home waiting for her visitors, which she dearly loved to have esp if it was of her family members! She was often unavailable between the hours of 9 and 3 or 4 most days as she went about her activities from visiting the 'oldies', who often were a decade or more younger than her, craft group, bible studies, fellowship, church, the Dutch Club and so forth.

Trapunto Cushion

Red cushion

It was hard to go through her things. It feels like such an invasion of her privacy and then on top of that we tended to feel mercenary as we decide who is having what of her things and what to discard! So many things speak of her life. I have been blessed to have known her and to be included in her family since I married my husband some 30 years ago.

 

She has been an inspiration to my own craft endeavours over the years. When she came over, I often ended up showing her a new paper craft technique, it was the only craft I could teach her, and she would go home with yet more papers and cards or stuff!

Come Christmas and birthdays, we all would receive some handmade or hand decorated items. I can look around my house in just about any room and find something that Mum has made whether it be fine crochet doilies, cross stitch hangings, crocheted edged face washers and hand towels, woven waste baskets.
Her creative genes were passed down with all 5 of her children and many of her 18 grandchildren, blessed with creativeness and industry. 
Through Mum I found what it is like to be a part of a loving extended family, so thanks Mum for the wonderful memories. Thank you brothers & sisters for letting me a part of your family too!

And most of all: Thank you God for bringing her into our lives.