‘Roni, don’t ever forget that I love you.’ Because of these beautiful last words, I never felt angry at her for dying. Instead, I was strengthened, knowing that I had something to hang on to for the rest of my life. Veronica (Roni) Buckley, quoted in Mom’s Gone, Now What?
If you’ve received the gift of last words from a dying loved one, you understand the power they have had in Buckley’s life. My mother’s last words were life-changing for me as well.
Jerome Bruner, psychologist wrote, “The eagerness to tell one’s story signals a desire to live.” As we share precious last words as part of our mother loss story, we affirm, not only our desire to live, but to thrive.
Affirmation: I will share my story.
Coaching questions: Did you have a last words moment? What has it meant in your life? With whom can you safety share this memory?
Veronica Buckley’s mother, Gladys Marie Savarese
Life after losing a mother 