Title:
Dad Died, Then Mom
Author:
Malia Arries
Genre:
Memoir
Book Blurb:
In Dad Died, Then Mom, Malia, along with her siblings, Bill, Marvel, Franchion, and Shonnie, guides you through something you do not want to experience – until you come to realize, it can be the experience of a lifetime.
Malia is not a nurse, a doctor, nor a psychologist. She is a family caregiver who is writing to you as a family caregiver. Because you are looking for a deep and hands-on realization of what you or someone you know might be going through, or will be going through, you may feel better able to connect with her even though every individual situation is different. Offering insight to prepare and help you through your journey, she shares her family’s journey.
Five siblings came face-to-face with the inevitable. Their parents were dying. They did not divide. They came together and worked as a team because it was not about them, it was about what was best for their dad and then their mom. Their parents modeled for them how to die graciously and they modeled for their children as they observed them care for their grandpa and grandma.
Rather than being a syrupy, depressing story, Dad Died, Then Mom is a heartwarming story. Of course there are plenty of distressing and tearful moments, but there are also moments filled with comforting smiles and even laughter. Moreover, the beyond this world moments Arries describes are awe-inspiring.
Malia’s goal in writing Dad Died, Then Mom is to familiarize you with what may happen and to offer you options on how to address issues by sharing the actual, day-by-day, journaled occurrences she, along with her brother and three sisters, encountered with their Dad and then their Mom. Her aim is for you to read this story so you might also choose to experience this truly extraordinary time of life with your loved one, or to compare your experience... or perhaps you have received a terminal diagnosis and wonder what it might be like during your last few months of life.
Excerpt:
The Rush of Wind
At 6:00 p.m., Franchion was outside (for better cell reception) talking with Keith on her phone. Mom was sitting next to Dad’s bed. The rest of us were still sitting around the table. All of a sudden, I heard what I described in the notebook as “a rush of wind.”
I remember leaning forward to look out the living room window by Dad’s bed, truly expecting to see garbage containers tumbling on the streets engulfed in a cloud of dust, but nothing was disturbed! I looked at Steve sitting to my right and said, “What was that?” He gave me a strange look and replied, “What was what?” Then Bill exclaimed, “Yeah, what was that?” Marvel, Shonnie, Bill, and I had all heard what we said sounded like a gust of wind! Steve and Art hadn’t heard anything.
Franchion was wondering what we were so excitedly talking about when she came back into the house. Those of us who had experienced it told her that a gust of wind came from the kitchen, went through the dining area, and into the living room where Dad and Mom were! I don’t know what that “wind” was. I believe it was angels arriving to prepare Dad for the transition from this life to his new life.
Interestingly, it was just the previous day from writing this section about the “wind” that I was looking through some of the books Darrell and I have. I was measuring them, looking at the word and page counts, etc., when I noticed a bookmark. It had been placed in the pages of one of the books that I don’t remember ever starting to read; it was one of Darrell’s books. The bookmark was a Bible verse regarding “wind” I had laminated onto a small piece of paper shortly after Dad died. I had forgotten about it. Amazingly it resurfaced at that exact time! This is a photo of the bookmark:
Franchion and I stayed with Mom and Dad that night. Dad was completely unresponsive. Mom retired to the bedroom, and Franchion and I remained in the living room.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
https://www.amazon.com/Dad-Died-Then-Mom-Inspirational/dp/1685566855/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2EW4DNM058R7E&keywords=dad+died%2C+then+mom+by+malia+arries&qid=1671120191&sprefix=dad+died%2C+then+mom+%2Caps%2C932&sr=8-1 Paperback Limited Time Deal $15.21
What makes your featured book a must-read?
“Malia did the last thing most people would consider doing at the time of her father's passing on; she created a journal and with the cooperation of her siblings recorded the final days of her father and then those of her mother when she too passed on. . . . She tells her story in an immersive manner so that I felt like I was with this unique family. . . . This is one book everyone should read.” ~ Readers' Favorite
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $35 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs December 27 – January 5, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on January 6, 2023.
Author Biography:
Hi, I’m Malia and I am a wife, a mom to two dogs, and the author of Dad Died, Then Mom.
Family, friends, dogs, and dancing, are what I live for (and eating vanilla ice cream cones once-in-a-while).
During a usual day, I’m likely to be at my computer, throwing a ball for my dog, relaxing on our outdoor swing, or watching a movie. I am pretty much retired, but continue to teach a few ballroom and Latin dance classes; I practice patterns often so I won’t forget them – well, at least the ones I can still remember.
Darrell Shelby (husband), Arries (Labrador), Shelby (Border Collie/Labrador), and I live full-time in our vintage Prevost bus. Everything we own is in our “grand old lady” or in the Jeep we tow. Spending summers near Minocqua, WI and winters near Pahrump, NV takes us from lush woods and lakes to barren deserts and mountains. We love them both!
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