The moment I’d been dreading the most arrived in the early morning hours of Valentine’s Day, when my beloved mother passed away after a long illness. 🕊️

My 80-year-old mother has had a form of dementia for several years and lived in a home care facility for the past two years, but her condition worsened in recent weeks.

While I knew there was no “getting better” with this disease, news of her passing still came as a painful shock.

Eventually, I know I will be at the acceptance stage. But for now, I’m in the denial stage of grief where everything is surreal. One thing is for certain: my mother will be my special Valentine from now on. 💟

[Updated May 5, 2024] Thank you for reading my blog and for your kind messages of support during this difficult time.