14/08/2026
It’s been four weeks since Mum passed. I hate the way time marches on. All I want to do is sit here, in this sombre space, because how is it fair that we are expected to move forward when she cannot? Doesn’t the universe know just how important she was?
It’s really hard to put into words what my family has been through over the past few months. We fought for Mum fiercely. We pushed, we challenged, we advocated for her in every way we could. Frustratingly, we were always behind the eight ball, and cancer management was repeatedly sidelined by pain management that was never nearly adequate.
I have never seen a greater display of courage than Mum showed in the final weeks of her life. Improving her pain was the only path she could focus on. Her will was immense; but in the face of the fast-moving beast that was her cancer, she was simply outrun.
In time, I know I will move through the anger I feel about Mum’s situation. I will somehow come to terms with a lacklustre care plan that saw her suffer needlessly. And, eventually, I hope I can shift my focus towards the wonderful care we did receive — the people who made the road a little less bumpy, and the nurses, doctors and other professionals whose care we openly acknowledged and appreciated along the way.
But I’m not there yet.
Right now, four weeks feels like both an eternity and no time at all. The world keeps moving, the days keep passing, and Mum is still so very present in everything.
She mattered that much. She still does. She always will. 🕊️
