It was October 29, 2020. After sleeping with my phone next to my bed for over seven years, that dreaded call finally came. It was 2:07 a.m. The caller I.D. read, “Blessing Hospital Hospice.” I answered numbly and instantly knew.
“Hello. Is this Bobbe?”
“Yes.”
“This is Molly, the hospice nurse. I’m calling to let you know that your mom passed away at 1:50 a.m.
I’m sure I responded with something, but I cannot remember what I may have said. Maybe, I said, “Thank you.” That would have been a dumb answer. Or maybe I said “Oh. Okay.” Or “Oh no!” It’s just impossible to recall. Maybe I was simply silent. All I know is that Molly spoke one more time,
“She was peaceful.”
And at the end of a 96 year old life, during a pandemic, with restricted visiting, those were the kindest three words she could have ever offered.
“She was peaceful.”
And then, so was I.