Suegra

My mother-in-law, Carmelita, passed away last Friday morning. She had been hospitalized again for internal bleeding and the doctors found that she had stage IV kidney cancer. She came home on Monday and died Friday morning. It was a very hard time but in the end, we're thankful that she is at peace and have faith that we will see her again under much better circumstances.

 I'm sad she suffered so long but glad I had the opportunity to help care for her and love her in that way. I'm also thankful that although she had been sleeping most of the time she was home last week, she woke up on Thursday and was able to smile and laugh and hear our goodbyes. We told her how much we loved her and were going to miss her.

 We had her funeral Friday night and were overwhelmed by the outpouring of kind words from so many friends that came to say goodbye. There was a little more laughter than tears as people shared their memories. It was not a typical funeral. Even a few people came to me at the end and said it was one of the nicest funerals they had ever attended. I think the most beautiful thing people said was that her life was evidence of God's love. She didn't have to throw her Bible in anyone's face, she showed love through her actions.

 Our friend Victor said that everytime he visited with her, he felt better when he left than when he had arrived. Another friend told of how she always had room in her kitchen and even if there wasn't much to share she would share and that no matter what she made, it was delicious. To this I am also a witness. She was an amazing cook! I can say she is one of the most generous people I've known. She was always giving her things to others who had less. I guess growing up in poverty could've made her hold on more tightly to things when she had them, but for her, it made her more generous and more aware of the needs of others. 

Maria del Carmen Ocaña, descanse en paz. Te vamos a extrañar.