Tracey Robertson
-- walking for her mother --
Berenice Robertson

Friday September 29, 2017 ~ One week ago today she took her last breath. 

 

When I began my efforts for the Moonlit Memory Walk my plans were to walk in memory of my grandfather Jim Huller.  His life had such an influence on mine and his legacy of care and caregiving is unmatched.

 

Here I am one week before our first event adding a second person to those I wish to honour and remember at the walk.  My mother Berenice Robertson who took her last breath at 8:20 am on Friday morning September 22, 2017.

 

The only way to describe my relationship with my mother is…complicated.  My guess is pretty much every daughter can describe her relationship with her mother in that way.  But down at the very heart of it - she had a good heart! 

 

She taught me compassion from a very early age. 

 

My mother was the youngest of five children and had a very strong bond and relationship with four of her eldest nephews; Billy & Robbie Robertson and George & Gordon Bishop. As a matter of fact, these four boys ran away from home quite regularly.  My mother would never lock our doors when we were not home.  She was so worried that she would lock one of the four boys out.  I cannot count the number of times we came home and one of them was sleeping on our couch.

 

I remember cutting up bed sheets with her to send to leper colonies. 

 

I remember her making my dad stop the car one evening because she spotted a young girl with a baby, at the bus stop in distress. We drove her to the hospital and my mom stayed with her until the doctor could check everything out.

 

It was these early teachings that have made the compassionate care of others so important to me.  And it was the work we are doing with Home Hospice that made me a fierce advocate for her and her care these past couple of years.  We were not one of the lucky families who could care for my mother at home.  She was admitted into a nursing home 364 days before she died. 

 

She brought the first boxer into my life; Toro and she loved Bello more than words.  She used to tell me that Bello was speaking to her telepathically, he wanted her to remind me how much he loved ice cream! She loved dogs so much and always made sure my Aunt Jackie’s dog Buddy always had some ice cream.

 

Her sense of humour got drier and drier over the years and the staff of the nursing home could not believe that even as the dementia took everything away from her the one thing it did not take was her ability to zing out one liners that left them in stitches.

 

On October 20 in a very private setting we are going to take the time to say goodbye to Berenice Agnes Robertson.  While it still feels so weird to use the words mom and died in the same sentence; I am so grateful she is at peace. I am so proud of how, as a family, we came together so that she did not spend one minute alone.  And I am so sad that we will be saying her name next Thursday evening.