Saying Goodbye
Today marks a week now that my Mom has been gone. She passed away on 3.25.13 after a grueling 3 year long battle with melanoma cancer filled with many highs and lows. This was also only a few hours after the end of My “Golden” 24th Birthday. She fell into a coma on the 22nd and held on through the weekend to give me one last birthday with her, an amazing birthday gift and the greatest gift she has ever given me “time”.
Last photo I ever took with my Mom on my 24th Birthday
This past week has been long, made even longer by funeral planning, many sleepless nights, and a roller coaster of emotions. Losing a loved one is always hard, but after watching my mother struggle and suffer over the last few months, her passing while extremely sad; at times also feels more like a blessing knowing she is no longer restricted by her failing body. I think the only thing sustaining me during this difficult time has been my faith in God; knowing that she truly now is in a better place and the hard part now is finding the courage to go on with out her until I get there too. I have also found myself uplifted by little messages, and an overwhelming out pouring of love and support. My Mom was no ordinary woman. While most people who are diagnosed with cancer try their best to face it with a positive outlook, she took it even further. My Mom viewed her cancer as a blessing, a lesson to make her into a better person, which she did. Over the last 3 years she documented and shared her journey by means of Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dawn.scottholmgren), and gained a huge following of those inspired by what a truly amazing women she was. She had news paper articles written on her, and an author use her story to be put into a book being written.
In loving memory of Dawn Holmgren 10.3.67-.3.25.13
In the last week many of these followers people who never even met her in person, have reached out to me with the most encouraging words of love and support. If it were not for how my Mom chose to spend her last few years of life, I do not believe I would be on the receiving end of such kindness, and do not think I would be in as good of a place as I am now. Even in death she is still blessing me with gifts of strength, hope. and courage.
My goal for this blog is continue my Mother’s legacy, and as she used her journey with cancer to help and inspire others, to use my journey and perspective through healing after losing her to do the same. I do not know where this journey will take me yet, but I’m just going to ride it out and document my process in the hopes that I can help someone else dealing with a similar situation in their lives. My Mom may not have beat cancer in the way most would view it, but she did; because of how she handled herself with nothing less than strength and dignity every step of the way and I will follow in her footsteps and handle her passing and my journey through healing in the same way.
A Journey through Healing 