3 years ago on Monday, the 14th of February, the most love-laden day of the year, a light went out. That light was my mum and the darkness which swallowed her up was, our familiar foe: cancer. My father, who passed a few years before and ever the romantic, came to take her home to be with him for the ultimate celebration of love.
A slight woman at the best of times, the cancer proved more than her increasingly frail body could bear with the 1st & last course of chemo leading us down the palliative care route. The care; attention & love she received in the wonderfully inviting; open spaced and welcoming environs of Esker Ri Nursing Home, Clara and in the oncology unit in Tullamore General Hospital was 2nd to none and gave her much comfort in what turned out to be the final few months of her life.
A beacon of light in a dark and murky world, my mum offered guidance; insight; wisdom or just an alternative perspective to everyone who came to her for advice; direction or simply a listening ear. She often dubbed this alternative perspective as being a devil’s advocate if you will, often making you look at things from a different viewpoint.
She was an oasis of calm; consistency and serenity, in an often chaotic; confusing and constantly changing world, drawing you out of yourself with her own quiet; patient and gentle manner. The comfort; solace and courage to go on you would receive as a result of talking to her couldn’t be measured or bought and you’d walk away from her nearly always feeling better about yourself. Just like the master cards adds say: “priceless!” And she was priceless; eternally minded and pure of heart with absolutely no ulterior or selfish motives. She served others & put them first because she found pleasure in it, never looking for anything in return, simply because it was the right thing to do. Even if it came at a sacrifice to herself.
Perhaps it was because she was grounded with a deep; unwavering and quietly prayerful faith which found its expression in her founding the Eucharistic Adoration 25 years ago which has touched, god knows, how many people’s lives and has left an enduring legacy that will last far beyond her 77 years. She just had this peace about her and you always knew what you were going to get when you came to talk to her which would put you at ease straight away
Indeed, she was many things to many people as the apostle Paul says in Romans: “That by some means she might save some”. And she saved many folks along the way. A loyal; generous and kind friend, a trustworthy; diligent and caring colleague & nurse, a deep thinking; reflective and talented wordsmith, a compassionate; emphatic and wise counsellor and an incredibly loving; nurturing; encouraging and patient mum; daughter and sister who inspired and spurred us all on to be true to ourselves and do whatever makes us happy.
Triona, my mum, our mum and friend and confidante will be deeply; sadly, and greatly missed by the many people who knew her or who had the privilege of having met her throughout the course of their journey and hers. The lives of her colleagues; friends; family and neighbours will never be the same again. Our hearts are broken yet somehow, better and bigger for having had her in our lives.
Poetry and Prose of Ken Hume 