My last post was January 1, 2013. In that post I mentioned that 2013 had been a hard year for me.
2 weeks later, on January 15, 2013 my mother passed away.
I have been her caregiver for the past 7 years. They were hard and the last year was harder than I ever imagined. She suffered and I was with her through all of it. My art was part of my saving grace. With all the emotional pain I was in, I held it inside. I kept it at bay. It was important for me to be strong and continue to move forward so that I could be there for her.
For the past 2 months I have been dealing with a probate lawyer, cleaning out and giving away her things. I am an only child. I have no more family, just a few cousins that are miles away. It seems to never end. My days are filled with taking care of her things and she is not here. I have not done a single drawing since she passed. I walk past the studio and it is a mess of creative energy from a mad woman trying to stay sane.
I wanted you to know that if you have reached out to me and I have not responded …….Thank you. For those of you that wondered where I went….. now you know.
I am grieving the loss of my sister-in-law, my stepson and my mother, all who died within 12 months of each other. Another family member is battling cancer. I have been going to bereavement counseling and it is helping.
It is going to take time for me to get back on my feet but I wanted you to know that I will return to my blogging and I appreciate all of the support and love you have sent my way. I have updated the site and listed workshops that I will be teaching this coming spring.
I hope to be back to some kind of routine soon.
Be well and be good to yourself and those you love.
~Mindy
Mindy,
I am so saddened to hear of your Mom’s ordeal and her death and what that has meant for you.
I too lost my Mom about a year ago and the end of life for her as well was a struggle.
Glad that your art was sustaining for you.
I hope that you and Joe are well….
with love,
Joan
Having met you, I know you are such a beautiful person Mindy. It makes me so sad to know of your struggle. You’ve been in my thoughts and I hope that you will be back soon and that maybe your art can give you some healing. Be good to yourself and know that there are people who care. Debbie
My heart is with you, Mindy, and I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself rather than trying to force yourself to do things that really aren’t necessary right now. I hope to meet you some day in one of your future courses. Take good care!
Be well, Mindy.
Oh Mindy- Take care of yourself now. That’s what matters most. Give yourself time to heal–all else will be here when you feel able. There are many who care about you– Though we’ve never met–I’m one of them.-Anita.
Hi Mindy,
Please know that your artistic family is pulling for you. Hang in there!
Sue
I am so sorry to hear of your loss of your mother! For 13 months, I battled the medical industrial complex as my mother’s advocate. It seemed everywhere I turned, I needed to shield her from those who either had no interest in her needs, or those willing to discard her. There were those kind souls, usually those “unimportant people” within the system, who cautiously gave me “hints” to help me out. They were wonderful. It was exhausting. In the end, My husband, adult children, and I, took care of her total care needs for 9 months in our home. I was the main caregiver. I was finally able able to have a visiting doctor come to our home! She was, and is, wonderful. I was told that she had excellent care and a quality life. In the end, she passed away from natural causes. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
You did your best for your mother and a wonderful job!
Gail
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your loved ones, especially the loss of your beloved mother. You are a beautiful person who creates beautiful art and you are an inspiration to me. Take care of yourself and, when enough time has passed, you will be creating beautiful Mindy Lighthipe artwork once again.
Lila