I'm Only the Trombone Player

The Next Chapter

Sadly, I have to reflect on the passing of Momma Mary Candiano, Lenore's Mom passed quietly at home, surrounded by family, just as she wished. Thankfully, Mary passed with little suffering or pain.

The biggest blessing was that Mary had left very detailed instructions regarding her care, what she found acceptable, and what she didn't want. The lesson here is; Everyone should do that, we don't want to face that day possibly, but doing so now will make our caregivers' lives much easier when the time comes.

Her passing leaves a vast empty spot in Lenore's and my life, much of our time was spent with her in the last years. She will be missed, mourned for, and grieved over. But, as Lenore pointed out several times in recent days, that is not what Momma would have wanted, and if we don't move on with our lives, I'm pretty sure she will make her displeasure known in some way. At any rate, there will be empty moments, sad memories, and tears in times to come.

My one regret in this is that Mary didn't live to see Lenore and I married, circumstances conspired to prevent that, with dates being pushed off for varied reasons. That will, of course, be rectified in due time. We have to the estate to settle, but Mary stipulated that Lenore has several years to do so, thankfully, no rush there.

We are both sad Mary is gone, happy that she didn't linger and suffer. We will both miss her, her sly humor, the wonderful food she used to cook, and her sage advice. Mary was one of a kind, God Bless and Keep Her.