Mom arrived home tonight

I received the call this morning, Mom passed away very peacefully in
her sleep around midnight.

Strangely, all I feel is gratitude and release at the moment. Mom is
finally free, and beyond the reach of any of the pain and indignities
the cancer imposed on her in her final months. She passed in the full
knowledge of how deeply and broadly her friends and family love her.
Most of all, mom died happily, with her faith in a loving, merciful
and consolate god intact.

Thank you to everyone who offered their support and prayers during
this very difficult time. We will rely on your continued support in
the days ahead. Andy and I want to especially thank our aunts Kate,
Bridget, and Carol (along with their families)- you will never know
the depth of our gratitude for the love and support you've provided to
us since September. The long, daily trips to visit mom in the nursing
home kept her sane and afloat in some dark days. You have been a
tremendous grace and source of strength for Andy and I, especially
during this last week sitting vigil with Mom. All we can say is thank
you, and we love you.

By the time I post this message, Gram will have been informed of Mom's
passing. Exact details of the funeral service will be coming soon,
but I have discussed prliminary dates and times with Sr. Cecelia at
St. Benedicts for hosting Mom's wake the evening of December 1st and
Funeral the morning of December 2nd.

For those traveling, Bridget will be blocking some rooms at the
Hampton Inn in Bristow. It's a new hotel, walking distance to
resturants and Bars ( this IS an Irish funeral after all). The staff
has also been tremendously supportive of Andy and I over multiple
stays at the hotel.

For those who wish to do something in Mom's memory, please make a
donation to either St. Benedicts or Hospice of Wake County, NC where
mom worked before she got sick. I'll post the details for that on the
blog once I've had a chance to pull things together. More updates in
the morning.

Trip

Sent from my phone