Steamgifts is a community that enjoys reminding each other of such important things such as LOVE, Positive Thoughts, Giving Back, and the fact that You're Not Alone. These threads are special and have a great part on our board. We have come to value such attractive qualities that bring us together as a strong community.

This thread is a new thread we all can use to celebrate the small things in life that are actually rather BIG (important). Let me explain...

A few weeks ago my Mother had to be rushed to the hospital to have surgery on her throat since she wasn't able to breathe. They cut a hole in her throat so she could breathe (tracheotomy). A scan of her throat area showed a grapefruit size tumor of a rare thyroid cancer called anaplastic. She also cannot swallow so can no longer eat-- requiring a feeding tube that is directly attached to her stomach. She can no longer talk as her voicebox is full of cancer. She has only a few months or even weeks now to live. When we go through such things it can become rather overwhelming and it makes every moment precious and the realization that what may seem a small thing in life is actually rather big-- and these things should be celebrated.

Thus, starts this thread... the "Small Celebrations Thread."
My first small celebration is that my 5 year old son recorded on a cell phone a message to his Grandma saying he loved her and wanted to give her a big hug! My Mom was shown the video in the hospital and it made her smile so big-- she was beaming with joy.

Note: Of course I feel utterly awful about the condition of my Mother as we are really close; but, this is an attempt at holding onto the small celebrations we can choose to find joy in despite great sufferings.

Examples of small celebrations:

-My son made the A-honor roll.
-I hugged my wife today and told her I love her.
-My baby took his first step!
-I passed my driver's test!

We all daily have small celebrations that we can celebrate if we stop and take time to notice them. These "small" things are actually rather big on retrospection.

April 24th, 2017:
Today my Mother peacefully died in her sleep. She fought to stay with us so as to express her great love for her children, family, and friends. However, the tumor was aggressive and took over her throat and closed her esophagus. Our family and friends pulled together and were there with her constantly the last few days. Saturday she had so many visitors-- over 20. I stayed with her constantly day and night since Saturday... I knew the moments were precious and held her hand, gave hugs, kissed her cheek and forehead as much as possible and reassured her of our great love for her. She was the most loving, caring, unselfish, generous and kind person I know... She did reflexology which is massaging others feet to promote natural health. So she was always daily working on her family and friends feet, massaging them. She was a Bible teacher volunteer, took care of sick, elderly, and gave of herself in so many ways and touched so many in her life.

I thought of this game as she has 3 cats named Little Bit, Snickers, and Lizzie. They will greatly miss her as she showered them with love and affection. They will be lost without their Mama... like the cat in this story of "The purring Quest", I share that in common with my Mom's cats... I too will feel lost without my Mama.

I appreciate so much support from everyone in this thread. We all share in common the sufferings of disease, sickness, pain and death of our dear loved ones and thus can find comfort and strength from each other to endure this... We must cherish the moments daily with those we love because those "small" things end up being the BIGGEST thing of all.

FORMAT:

myidname | my small celebration explanation here | [Name of the GA](link to the GA here) | Level#here

**Note: Info on hospice care from SG user genkicoll here

View attached image.

View attached image.

View attached image.