Update: 7/29/8:52 PM: See below Scott Simon’s last four tweets about his mother’s death.
* * * * *
I suspect most readers of MillersTime are not ‘on’ Twitter, do not know much about it, or perhaps are disdainful of what they might believe is a waste of time or of a self-indulgence in which they do not wish to participate.
Perhaps.
But I have been drawn to something on Twitter over the past few days that I want to mention and that reminds me of something from my own recent life, experience, and learning.
Scott Simon, journalist and host of NPR’s Saturday’s Weekend Edition, has been live tweeting the last days of his mother’s life. He is doing so from her ICU hospital room (see pix above).
An indulgence? Or something wonderful?
A few examples:
I am getting a life’s lesson about grace from my mother in the ICU. We never stop learning from our mothers, do we?
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 25, 2013
Mother asks, “Will this go on forever?” She means pain, dread. “No.” She says, “But we’ll go on forever. You & me.” Yes.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 28, 2013
If we only truly realized how little time we have..,
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 28, 2013
Her passing might come any moment, or in an hour, or not for a day. Nurses saying hearing is last sense to go so I sing & joke.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 29, 2013
When she asked for my help last night, we locked eyes. She calmed down. A look of love that surpasses understanding.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 29, 2013
I am drawn to this for two reasons: I believe Scott Simon is doing a service to us all, opening a window into a life event that many of us have or will experience. In his willingness to share what he is experiencing, in his wonderfully honest and sincere way, he hopefully opens a dialogue families can have prior to such an end of life experience.
Second, I had such an experience and wrote about it in the past: If You Expect to Die One Day, or Know Someone Who Will… If you have not seen that post, I hope you will click on the link to the post and also read the Comments that others shared after reading what I wrote.
We do not talk enough, I believe, with each other and with our parents about the end of life, especially when there is still time to discuss some of the issues involved.
Thank you Scott Simon for doing what you’re doing now.
* * * *
Update: Scott Simon’s final four tweets this evening:
Heart rate dropping. Heart dropping.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 29, 2013
The heavens over Chicago have opened and Patricia Lyons Simon Newman has stepped onstage.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 29, 2013
She will make the face of heaven shine so fine that all the world will be in love with night.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 29, 2013
Thank you for all yr warm wishes and prayers. Such love drives the world.
— Scott Simon (@nprscottsimon) July 29, 2013
Joe Chamberlin said:
To say goodbye to
Our parents is to welcome
Our parent within
tiffany said:
Wow, this is deep. I was a little reluctant to read this post. Losing a parent is hard, and every time I see or hear something heartfelt from others going through it, it triggers so many emotions from my own experience nine years ago. Thank you for sharing. Sometimes it is nice to shed a few tears to remind us how human we are, and how much we love.
Carrie said:
Lovely