Daniel Greene

Tag: family

  • Introducing Callie

    After my mom died, we adopted her kitty, Callie. I had not wanted to promise my mother we would adopt her, because I feared how our dogs and a cat would get along, but after she died I decided to do it.

    Callie is a Maine coon. Very affectionate and gentle! So far, she is telling us where she wants to go by walking out of doors (no, I don’t want to be closed in the bathroom) or walking up to doors (I would like to leave this bedroom, please). She has found a couple few hiding places where she seeks refuge when she wants to, but she has also stood up for herself to our bigger dog, Buxley. She and Zoey (our little Chihuahua) seem to have no problem but for a little tentative advances and retreats. I would love to blog about this more, but I have to finish my master’s degree coursework this month after a week of sitting shiva amidst going out to San Diego to take care of business and help organize a memorial service. Overall, I have high hopes for our three pets.

  • Haiku of a bereaved son at the end of shiva

    Mirrors uncovered
    I see the pain in my face
    Yet I see her too

  • Saying my mom died actually helps

    Calling Social Security and my mom’s bank is actually therapeutic, in that I get to make it real that my mom died, which just feels so unreal.

  • Mom saved my childhood gift

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    Had my first good cry since my mom died. In the bottom of her handbag, I found a brand new white coin purse with plenty of coins in it, but I also found this old leather coin purse I made for my mom when I was seven years old. It had only two coins in it, and she didn’t need it in her handbag, but she kept it in there anyway. It — I — meant that much to her.

  • Things I never thought I’d say about death

    I’ve said a couple of things about death this week I never thought I’d hear come out of my mouth. The day before my mom died alone in her apartment (sad news, I know), I tried talking her into signing a DNR so she could go into hospice. She said she wanted them to do everything they could to save her life. I said, as gently as I could, “Well… Mom… people who know they’re dying don’t ask people to save their lives. Death is part of the dying process.”

    The next day, when I got the call that she died, I was in shock – not surprised, sadly, but shaken. I told my (gentile) husband I wanted to sit shiva but needed a refresher on how. He went to get one of my Jewish books for me, and instead of bringing A Handbook of Jewish Living, he brought The Jewish Holidays. He was looking in the index saying, “Shiva… Shiva… I see Shabbat but nothing about shiva.” I looked at the cover of the book and said, “Death is not a holiday. “