#1: Through the Night
You can read the original text version of this story here.
Bellevue, Washington | October 2005 | By HYEWON JIN GRIGONI
“I’ll never forget seeing my mom in the hospital two years ago. The next evening she would be diagnosed with cancer, but that first night before we knew was the night that really did a number on me.”
Hyewon Jin Grigoni (pictured right, baby) is a writer in Boston.
Music courtesy of Rob Costlow (”L.A. Passing By” and “I Do,” Jamendo & Megatune).
Posted by Common Ties on Monday, September 10th, 2007 | Email This PostThis entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 12:02 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
5 Responses to “#1: Through the Night”
Leave a Reply
NOTE: Please submit your comment only once. It will have to be approved by the administrator before it is posted.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:47 am
“She held onto her IV tower. I held onto my mom.” That passage brought tears to my eyes. I took care of my mother after a fall and felt the same sense of honor that Grigoni described so beautifully. I think it’s so rewarding to be a caregiver to a parent because it’s an opportunity to repay them in a small way for their years of generosity, sacrifice and unconditional love.
September 13th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Amazing story. My eyes are filled with tears. I had a similar experience with my grandma and it is stunning to see, in those moments, how profound your love is for someone that nothing matters but being there for them.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
this is lovely.
my relationship with my own mother is so completely decimated… beyond repair… but i felt this.
beautiful story.
September 24th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
My father died three weeks ago of cancer, and spent countless hours as his caretaker and days upon days watching him suffer. To watch a parent regress to an infantile state is humbling and overwhelming. It is somewhat surreal, like I would fade in and out (this is real, not real, real, not real) and that is perhaps what keeps us going, no? I truly admire your compassion. I was not near as graceful as you, and part of my current grief is the guilt that I should have done more. Like you. We should all be so lucky to have children so selfless.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Wow. I couldn’t stop the goose bumps or the tears as I heard this story. So honest. So poignant. We learn our strength and our limitations when we truly love. Thank you for sharing this story, this picture, of love.