Mitzi and I have had a special thing for cardinals since I first became her sidekick in 2016. I’ve often been amazed at how cardinals seem to show up when you most need a reminder of a loved one. That’s why the logo for I’ll Remember For You has a cardinal sitting in the purple tree. Many times, when we’d be walking, we’d see one and she’d get so excited. I’d always say that was her Mom or Dad just checking in on her. Once, when we were sitting in a park and she was talking to her BFF Sandra on the phone having a very tough conversation about her journey, a cardinal came and sat on the fence post right next to her as she cried and talked. It was pretty amazing. There were even a male and female sitting on the railing of her deck in the early evening the night we had to bring her here to Hospice. I got a short video of it. I smiled to think her parents were there to watch over her departure from her home on her way to be reunited with them.
Today, while I was taking a break and getting some fresh air, I heard a rustling in the bushes. I looked over and saw, of course, a cardinal hopping along the ground. Every time I caught up to the bird, he would fly off a little further ahead of me. Pretty soon I couldn’t keep up and just had to zoom with my camera to catch glimpses of him as he made his way deeper into the sunlit woods.
I couldn’t help but think of what a beautiful, yet hard-on-the-heart illustration God put across my path today as the little bird kept slowly leaving me behind, eager to fly off past where I could see him anymore…
Tonight, as Gary and I sit next to her bedside, Mitzi’s breathing has turned to tiny little puffs of air. Her heart rate has continued to be rapid all day, despite the meds to calm her. She has been in basically a deep coma for 9 full days. We honestly don’t know how much longer she can hold out, but she continues to amaze us. As one close friend of her sister’s pointed out, “We knew her heart was big, we just didn’t know it was this big!” I loved that.
Hospice has done a merciful job of keeping her comfortable by adjusting her medications constantly as needed. The care she has received has been wonderful. She has been surrounded by family and friends throughout her time here, including the phone calls, texts, and messages you all have posted or sent. This is such a different end of Alzheimer’s than I have ever experienced because her body is so healthy. She has defied many odds. Yet all the while, as more and more people have learned of her story, she’s continuing to inspire and impact the lives of those around her. Even at Hospice in a coma. Her page has grown to nearly 800 followers, which is staggering. We have so much more to share because my heart for starting this project was to use her story to bring hope and encouragement to as many people as possible. I love the gift God has given us of being able to do that and keep Alzheimer’s from succeeding in erasing her.
Mitzi always told me that God had a reason for every day she is still here, so we always set out on our adventures to find the purpose in every day. The promise I made to her when starting this blog was that even long after she was no longer “here,” we would still be pulling purpose out of her story. Whenever it happens, and it will be soon enough and in the perfect timing, this is not goodbye…????