A Mother's Legacy Continues

"People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." Elisabeth Kubler Ross

I had some time tonight and was perusing Facebook and looking at the latest of my friends' feeds. One of my friends had posted a you tube video that he suggested be clicked on. Well I did and the result was just amazing! Because this friend is a professional photographer, I clicked on his photography link which took me to his site; yet another visual treat. I always knew he was good, but man, is he GOOD! Please visit this link to see what I am talking about (click on portfolios to start)! Then I continued looking at his Facebook site and came across the quote below and it totally struck me as completely poignant and rather perfect for Mother's Day, especially the way he had it posted. Here is his what he had and how it was posted:

' "The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassions, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."
Mom '

Doesn't that sounds like something a mother would say?! I sure think it does! You see, this friend's mom really knew what she was talking about when she said that. She was Dr. Elisabeth Kubler Ross, a Swiss-born psychiatrist who was the author of many books, including On Death and Dying in which she proposed the famous Five Stages of Grief model. She went on to do and write amazing things in the field of near death and death experiences until her own death in 2004. She was instrumental in teaching the world that dying is actually about living up to the very end, Through her determination and persistence, she helped revolutionize the care that the dying receive today with the emphasis on compassion and dignity in their end of life. care. Please click here to see more introspective quotes by Elisabeth Kubler Ross. To find out more about this amazing woman, please click here as well.

Her son, my friend, Ken, has continued her work as a speaker and Board President of the Elisabeth Kubler Ross Foundation as well as being the fantastic professional photographer and world traveler that he is.

I met Ken (Keno as he was referred to Back in the Day) in high school and we had quite a few mutual friends and were in some of the same classes. He was one of those friends that was just so fun to hang out with and there was always some sort of random stuff that would happen when we did. I still remember that his house was a Frank Lloyd Wright house that had an indoor swimming pool in it (and a sauna) which he so graciously let a few of us practice our synchronized swimming routines in for PE class (oh the stuff we remember) and generally hang out in (equipped with a - we thought-rather nasty dog that my friends and I were afraid of!). Ken also had a drum set and lots of time was spent listening to him drum away to Boston and Journey blasting on the stereo. He was my partner in Econ and when we had a huge Econ project to do to involving learning about buying cars, Ken actually bought the car we looked at- I think we got an "A" on the project for that alone! In college he would literally pop in unannounced to visit myself and some other friends at a nearby college- this bring remarkable since he was attending college in New York at the time and we were in Bloomington, IL. But that was Keno! Fun times!

On a side note, I did actually get to meet Dr. Kubler Ross a few times in high school and was aware of her work and what she was doing, but did not fully appreciate it's important profoundness until college when I took some Psychology classes and began reading many of her books. When my parents died, I reread On Death and Dying a few times to help me get through the grief process; and it did.

"There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from." EKR

Anyway, if you are looking to see a true photographer's work, please visit Ken's site and ooh and ahh over his fantastic photographic talent. You will NOT be disappointed!

And if you are looking to validate a Son's love for his Mother and carrying out her legacy, please visit the Elisabeth Kubler Ross Foundation site and see the depth of one woman's amazing life and life's work being carried out today with the assistance of her son.

"Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever" EKR

On a double side note, I came across the journal I had with me on the last night of my Mother's life. She was basically in a hospice situation and I was the only one with her. I sat and held her hand for hours on end talking to her hoping she would or could hear, but with all the pain medication she was basically unresponsive and she died peacefully a few hours after I wrote this. But as Dr. Kubler Ross taught, death is a celebration as well. Here are lines straight out of my journal as I wrote them (about 3:00 AM)- I am sharing them as I thought they fit well with the theme of my post:
"You were there to give me life -how fitting I'm there at the end of yours
These same hands held me as a baby and picked me up when I would fall
I don't want to let go
How do you say goodbye to the one who gave you life?
Are you scared? I am!
Only good things for you now- not pain
For the pain is now with the ones you are leaving behind
You are taking your stories, your memories to a place far away
All you ever wanted was to go home and now you are
Peace come to you soon"

"Those who have the strength and the love to sit with a dying patient in the silence that goes beyond words will know that this moment is neither frightening nor painful, but a peaceful cessation of the functioning of the body." EKR

Regardless of if you are currently a Mom or if your Mother is still with you or not (and I am missing mine greatly at the moment), we share the common thread of all having the experience of a Mother in our lives at some point. Celebrate the special Women in your life today and always!

Happy Mother's Day!

"The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well. "EKR

http://www.kenrossphotography.com/
http://www.ekrfoundation.org/