Kind and gentle reader. *sigh* I am sitting at my computer, making plans and canceling appointments and sending texts and taking the occasional break to cry. My brother and I have actively been looking for a placement for our mom as her care requirements have increased and we felt like we needed more support. After getting turned down by one spot last week, we had recently started over, but this time looking for a smaller place with more focused care. We’d narrowed it down to two homes, each with only five residents, 24/7 care, and both with an open room. 

We’d also decided it might be time to get help from hospice, (to qualify for hospice, a person is considered to have no more than six months left to live). They were so good to us and such a help when Dad was dying. Mom had lost her ability to stand or use the bathroom on her own or take a regular seated shower in the past few months, and just recently in the past few weeks, she’s been sleeping a lot more, needing help eating, can only eat soft food, is talking much less — essentially needed help with everything.

After two assessments and visits from hospice, it was determined today that she most likely only has a week or two left with us. Even though he saw her decline directly, my brother was surprised to hear she was so close, as was I. One of the homes we’d already been considering is run by the hospice company and is focused on end of life care. Mom will be moving there in the morning. We’ve been advised that we don’t need to give her any more of her regular meds and can stop feeding her unless she requests it. I knew this was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

I’ll be flying to Oregon in the morning to spend her final days with her. Understandably, I don’t plan on doing any blogging in the meantime. I’m not sure when I’ll be back or how soon I’ll feel like posting. May we all have a life full of love and an easy death.

*sigh*

1. Poetry: I Let Go and How to Love the World from Julie Barton, and For When The Fall Feels Inevitable from Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, and My Soul is in a Hurry by Mário Raul de Morais Andrade (shared by Patti Digh).

2. Writing prompt sources: Prompt Monster and Writing Prompts from Wikiversity (both thanks to Kari at A Grace Full Life). I also highly recommend Jena Schwartz’s new book, Fierce Encouragement: 201 Writing Prompts for Staying Grounded in Fragile Times.

3. Sorry, Your Bootstraps Won’t Save You: A Guide to Mutual Aid in the Age of Bullshit on The Progressivists. “The system isn’t failing us – it’s fucking us over exactly as planned. But we’re building something better, and we need your help to grow it.”

4. Small Bright Songs in the Dark, “An invitation to gift yourself a daily sliver of joy” from Sara Saltee.

5. The joy and the fury from Amy Marie Turner.

6. 7 Myths About Introverts.

7. Pep Talk: On Hanging in There from Maggie Smith.

8. 198 Methods of Nonviolent Action.

9. Goods Unite Us. “Corporations earn profits off of your everyday purchases. And some of those profits are then donated to politicians and causes you might not agree with.” Search for a brand and see its politics.

10. Here’s the One Thing You Can Do Right Now to Oppose Fascism on
The Beautiful Mess by John Pavlovitz.

11. How to Step In from Patti Digh. “Resistance may take you out of your comfort zone. Be prepared to go there.”

12. America must not surrender its democratic values from Bernie Sanders.

13. Typewriter interview with Ross Gay from Austin Kleon. “10 questions for the poet, essayist, and student of joy.”

14. A break from your smartphone can reboot your mood. Here’s how long you need.

15. The Tiniest Mission.

16. Comedian Mae Martin wrote a rock album. When the world’s chaotic, ‘So much of life doesn’t have a punch line’.

17. Curious about exploring your spirituality? Ask yourself these 4 questions.

18. ‘My life expectancy is short’: America’s most vulnerable – in pictures.
“From train hoppers to addicts and prostitutes, Mark Laita’s photo series unpicks the complex life stories of those who exist on society’s fringe.”

19. Using the power of truth. “The road back to democracy begins with a recovery of what it means to be a human being.”

20. And finally, a few random things I saved this week.