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Becky Blue's avatar

Heart-rending and beautiful. I lost my sister a little over two years ago. Machines also kept her body breathing, but only for days—and though we didn’t understand the truth for the first twelve hours, she was already gone. Thank you for writing. 💙

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Annette Marquis's avatar

I'm so sorry for the loss of your little sister. Although I never knew Marlee, her death haunts me. Grief is so hard. Thank you for reading!

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Becky Blue's avatar

I saw this almost a year later…I’m not very good yet at Substack!

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Annette Marquis's avatar

I figure we see stuff when it's time. It's all good!

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Nomadic Life Scribbles's avatar

What a hard thing for your mother to have to handle, in the 1950s when people didn’t really talk about their feelings, no grief groups, etc. The way you tell her story is beautiful and heart-rending.

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Annette Marquis's avatar

Thank you, Annie. Yeah. You were just expected to get over it and move on. Marlee's dad died of a broken heart and my Mom carried it with her for the rest of her life. I'm afraid that we still don't do well processing grief or supporting someone who's grieving. It's such a hard thing.

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Gloria DeGroat's avatar

Thank you for writing your story. Your Mom sounds like a very strong woman

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Annette Marquis's avatar

Yes, she was!

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Maj-Britt Johnson's avatar

Love the details of the photos hidden under the sweaters in your Mom's drawer. And her bringing them out just for you.

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Annette Marquis's avatar

Thank you! It was definitely an unforgettable moment.

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