January 2011 was the month I realized our heavenly Father never leaves our side and gives us his strength when we need it. This is the month, I started a new job on January 3rd, lost my father on January 19th and my mother on January 31st.
God knew I needed a new job in order to deal with what the rest of month would have in store for me. I was so miserable and unhappy in my previous job that being at this new one, he placed me in one that had such an understanding boss and coworkers, I was able to deal with my parents passing with no worry about losing my new job for not performing at my best.
My parents passing was a true inspiration of their love for each other and their dedication and love for our heavenly father. For years prior to their deaths, my mom would tell me "Mijita, we pray to God and ask him to take us together because we have been together so long we will not know what to do without each other" My dad would respond we cannot go together because we will argue the whole way to the pearly gates, they will not let us in...we would all laugh and mom would say, Ok, you first, create our heavenly home, bring Ramiro home (my brother passed 10 years prior to them) and I will be along shortly. God answered their prayers and I worked out just like they wanted.
My dad was placed in hospice care on January 18th & told my family we had 72 hours. I was not with him as my at the time boyfriends mom had passed the day before on January 17th& was with him and his family and I believed I would be able to get to the hospital in plenty of time to be him until his heavenly departure. At 3:30 am on the 18th, my sister called me and said my daddy had gone heavenly home and she was the only one with him. I was an hour away and had no idea what to do. I started praying as I was going to wait for her to call me back so we could meet up to go and tell mom daddy had passed. 20 minutes later, she calls me and tells me my dad's heart had started again and he was still with us. I jumped out of bed, got dressed and being an hour away, I prayed to God to please have daddy hold on until I got there and he heard my prayers because I was able to get there and be with my siblings until God came calling for our father. As my sibling and I were watching dad's heart monitor we felt the most beautiful loving presence enter the room as my daddy's heart stopped. It was so strong we actually said to each other "Did you feel that" and we all had. At that moment we knew daddy was going home and he was not alone in his journey. This is one of the most BEAUTIFUL experiences of my life and Thank God for allowing us to feel it. As we all had been through this, it gave us all the strength and enlightenment we need to dealing with mom's upcoming death.
On January 22, the day after we laid my dad to rest, my mom ended up in the hospital. Being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December, we knew we didn't want for her to endure treatment being proposed, but it was going to be her choice. On Tuesday, January 25th, the hospice dr. came and spoke to my mother and she listened attentively and when he was done, she asked one question. " If I do nothing, when will I go home?" she was pointing to the ceiling signifying heaven :-). He responded 3 months, she counted out the months on her fingers and said, so by April I will be home? He said Yes. Her response was send me home.
We got her hospice home care & started the journey to find her a hospice home as we didn't want her to pass at home. We found one for her on Saturday, January 29th and were going to move her on Monday as she was going down fast, but Sunday, January 30th, hospice home care said we could no longer move her as she was in her last 24 hours. So, on Monday, January 31st, surrounded by all her family (children, grandchildren & great grandchildren) my mom joined my father in heaven.
My parents gave me many things, but the greatest gift they gave me was my faith because without that, I would not have been able to write and read the eulogy at both their funerals and survive the most life changing month I have ever experienced. My siblings and I are so grateful to God for listening to my mom & dads prayers and giving us the strength and enlightenment only he could have given us during this time.