So sorry to hear your sad news, my thoughts are with you and your family.

It's strange how something is as definitive, pre-ordained and un-avoidable as death can knock us for such a loop. But it does.

I feel for you and agree with others here that you help keep a part of your mom alive with your warm memories and good thoughts of her.

I hope peace makes a home in your heart real soon...

ReinMan

(bump)

Whim, I'm sorry to hear about your Mother passing on. I bet she got a chuckle out of her "TO DO" list when she got there.

Sorry to hear the news Whim. I know she was a good role model for you. From what you've said she was proud of what she accomplished while here. So just remember she's moved on to her next role and she will do a bang up job at that as well. And you will be together with her again some day and just think of the stories she'll have to tell you by then!

Smile whenever you think of her and her spirit will surround you.

sorry to hear that take care

Hello

I appreciate all the kind words, sorry I didn't answer for a while, but I've been sick in bed since Friday late afternoon. Flu or something I ate (we had food coming in from all over every night), but I'm back home now. Even brought a bit of mom back with me: a lock of hair and a keepsake urn (which I had TSA prescreen to make she could go on the plane with me)

Mom's service was Saturday morning, I barely made it thru her service (Glad I did of course), but since I was so sick, I skipped the luncheon and went back to her house to go to bed for a couple of days - missed the day drive to the inurnment, but they taped it for me so I did get to see it.

Anyways, the mortuary scanned in all those photos my sister & I picked out and made a nice video of mom's life. Nice complimentary service of the mortuary... they played it at the service too along with music we had selected, gave us a DVD. Even had a nice fold-over brochure with 6 photos... I had to do some photoshopping on a old photo for them, but they did a very nice job. Mortuary services have changed a lot since my dad died in 1980.

see if it works for you... one mac user said it didn't work for her.

http://memorial.yourtribute.com/helenhansen/videos.aspx

thanks Caf!

To lose a parent must be awful, which is something we will all have to do one day. I just hope that when that time comes I can deal with it in such a way that celebrates the life rather than mourn the death. It also makes you realise that nothing is forever and that death is the only absolute and yet we are always shocked and saddened by it.

I think the way you have celebrated your mothers life and loves is inspiring to all who read your words, I am sure your Mother is very proud of you, I would be. I am a parent to 3 beautiful children and I am very proud of them everyday as I'm sure your mother was of you.

Thank you for sharing with us all your grief and your thoughts and I like to think that when you have a nice community feel in a forum etc you can be helped thru hard times with cyber buddies. I've taken up too much space now so I'm going.

take care.

So sorry you've been physically ill, on top of everything else! There is something to the thought that grief and other stress can lower you immunity. Hope you're feelining better!

The video / photo show is extraordinary, a priceless heirloom and touching tribute. And I'm on a Mac. The link opens a page with a small (black) thumbnail. Clicking it brings you to a larger black thumbnail. Clicking that opens a new window where the video starts playing. A little unusual to have the extra step from that first thumbnail, but it worked seamlessly.

Welcome home, and welcome back. Remember to try to be patient with yourself and others; we all cope and adjust in our own ways and the process is not always predictable nor linear. I know you know all this already; I just wanted to say again "I understand."

Christy, I'm so sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you and your family. I know it's tough to lose a parent. Been there. I hope you are feeling better yourself.

It can be emotionally and physically draining so take care of yourself.


Jeff

thank you. still not well. I cried hard tonight... first time since I first found out I missed seeing her Feb. 14. Didn't really make me feel any better... but I know it will take a long time.



but regarding the online video, Caf - what browser did you use? I tried Explorer, Firefox & Safari at work - didn't work and tried Netscape at home - also didn't work.

At what point does it let you get to before you realize it isn't working? Does it give you any message or anything? I use FireFox on my MacBook.

Testing it again, the pop-up video screen isn't exactly a new "window" but overlays over the "Click here to play full sized video tribute" page. Maybe you need the updated Flash Player plugin, which is a FREE download and available for all (I think) platforms. Here's the link: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/

I currently have Flash Player 9, but it looks like 10 is out. As I clicked the link to download 10, it auto-detected what browser and OS I'm using. You may need to download it for each browser you want to use.

UPDATE: I can now say the video works flawlessly with both v. 9 and v. 10 of the Flash Player plugin for Firefox on my MacBook.