VITAS’ KATHLEEN KASHOW: With Mother’s Day Coming Up It’s Important to Keep Mom Close Through Memories

If your mother is still alive, it’s a day for cards, flowers, get-togethers and special gifts

VITAS General Manager in Brevard County Kathleen Kashow talks about the importance of sharing memories on Mother’s Day. It doesn’t matter how old you are: Mother’s Day is always a special day on the second Sunday in May. (VITAS Healthcare image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – It doesn’t matter how old you are: Mother’s Day is always a special day on the second Sunday in May.

If your mother is still alive, it’s a day for cards, flowers, get-togethers and special gifts.

For others, Mother’s Day can be a bittersweet occurrence, marked by an ever-present sense of absence.

“Time heals all wounds” is a nice adage, but time also serves as a reminder of what’s lost, and that’s why the bereavement specialists at VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, encourage family members to find special ways of honoring their mother and their mother’s legacy on Mother’s Day.

Lorraine, the daughter of a VITAS patient, says being involved in her mother’s hospice care helped her tremendously—while her mother was still alive and after she passed away.

“VITAS was there every step of the way,” Lorraine says.

“Without hesitation, each member of the team provided prompt answers and made transitions very smooth. They cared for me as well, always available to talk, support, and direct me when I found things overwhelming.”

With the team’s help, Lorraine’s mother “passed peacefully at home,” she says.

“I have never felt so close with a team of healthcare professionals,” Lorraine recalls. “I will be forever grateful and amazed at the passion they all have for their roles in end-of-life care. They taught me what true LOVE is.”

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Robin Fiorelli, director of bereavement services for VITAS, points out that Mother’s Day can resurrect grief and longing for mothers, whether it’s been one year or 50 years since a death.

She encourages motherless sons and daughters to find special ways of honoring their mothers and “mother figures”—anyone who served as a protector or mentor in a motherly role.

Create special crafts, a photo album or scrapbook in her memory. Cook Mom’s favorite recipe or volunteer in her honor on Mother’s Day. Visit your mother’s grave or find closure by attending a grief support group or memorial ceremony.

“It can be really healing on Mother’s Day to honor the person who was motherly to you,” Fiorelli says.

“While we know our mother is gone, we still have a relationship with her, based on memories, a shared history and the fact that we can still feel her presence and support.”

Kathleen Kashow is the general manager for VITAS in Brevard County, Florida. For more information about end-of-life care services, call VITAS Healthcare at 321-339-2893 or visit VITAS.com

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