It has been an amazing 2 1/2 years. My mother in law was diagnosed with an untreatable form of cancer and we were told she had 3 months to live. That began a series of crises and plateaus that have continued over the last few years.

About a year ago she moved into our home. Each downward spiral would bring the family to our house to say good bye. Eventually we learned to deal with the downward cycles. We learned how to learn the new level of health and the new level of care required. We adjusted over and over again.

Throughout it all, she denied all treatment. She wanted a peaceful process of death and we did our best to provide that. I am proud. We created a comfortable home for her. There were lots of amazing times, of laughter, of joy, of just plain rediculous situations.

And now it is over. She is gone and we are figuring out how to live a life without someone dying. Putting our lives back together, reclalibrating priorities without the grounding reality of her needs. There is a new found freedom and many levels of loss. She taught me so much about hope and faith. I miss her terribly.