After many years of penning this blog I have come to know many of you and if you have been following me and reading the comments you probably know each other too.
During Christmas many of you shared your home’s Christmas decor which gave us another glimpse of you. I enjoyed that so much that I want to continue putting forth ways for us to connect. If you have a personal story that you would want to share please send it to me at
coreyamaro@aol.com
Shared Story Number 1
Photo via Amy’s Facebook
Mom and I spent a lot of time lying in her bed over the last year – she was sick and weak and in pain, and I wanted to be near her to keep her company and in case she needed anything.
We were constantly on our phones, sharing funny, interesting things with each other. I came across a compilation of hilarious, horrible tattoos, and when we saw this one – NO REGERTS – we laughed so hard Dad came in to see what we were doing. It's especially funny because Mom was a famously terrible speller and called me all the time to ask me how to spell things. NO REGERTS became our mantra.
After another trip to the doctor, when chemo failed, after another trip to the ER, another fight with the doctors to get her pain relief, a bad pain day, the day she entered hospice, a day she just couldn't muster the energy to eat or shower, the hours of medication organizing, the heart-wrenching conversations we had, the naps we took together when she held my cold hands between her warm ones, the lanes of memories we wandered, the joy and laughter we still shared even so close to the end. Every night, I made sure she had clean sheets and jammies and gave her a facial with a warm cloth, rose-scented face cream, and a hand and foot massage, and then I'd kiss her good night. And we would both whisper our love to each other, grab hands, look in each others' eyes, and say, "NO REGERTS."
I won't get a tattoo, but it's how I hope to live from now on. With not one single regert.
Not a single one.
Amy Kortuem
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