Donations for Homegoing Services of Shelley Blow

Losing both of your parents, who weren't even sick, unexpectedly in less than a year, has left an unexplainable and incomprehensible void in my life and heart.

When my mom witnessed my dad's cardiac arrest last October 2020, I will never forget the look of fear, worry and devastation on her face as she tried to remain prayerful and strong as the paramedics were working on him in the kitchen. I remember that same look on her face as she tried to pick up the pieces of her life after losing my dad. Losing your best friend of 40+ years is a heavy burden to bear. Losing your spouse, who covered and supported you, is not something you bounce back from easily.

My mom had a lot to manage and met with many roadblocks managing my dad's estate during these pandemic times. She had her periods of depression, but yet, she still remained prayerful and strong. She didn't want me to go through the same obstacles she did. So she vowed to get things in order to make it easier for me to execute when she would finally be called home. She reassessed her life insurance policies to ensure there would be enough coverage to take care of her funeral services with some left over to mitigate any outstanding debt. She had everything organized and labeled (she had the neatest calligraphy-like handwriting). My mom was excited for a fresh start. She turned 69 on July 29th. She had plans to move into and renovate my grandparents home. And she was awaiting the arrival of her first great-grandbaby.

And then 9/11...the day most people will not forget for the obvious reason, but it is the day I will never forget because I found my mom deceased in her home from natural causes. The little girl in me was shaking her and telling her to wake up, wake up. The adult nurse in me felt the coldness of her skin and knew she already transitioned home. If you ask me, she died of a broken heart, loneliness and insurmountable burdens she kept private as she remained prayerful, strong and hopeful for things to change in her life.

You are reading this today because my mom did her absolute best in pre-planning for her funeral. But the one thing she did not factor into her plan was God's Plan. None of us can. Her life insurance policies were less than 8 months old. Thus, giving the insurance companies the right to institute the "2-year contestability" clause. This means the face value of the policies will be contested and deemed null and void after an extensive medical records review. They will only pay out the premiums paid thus far plus interest, which are not enough to cover the basic funeral services. My parents were not wealthy, but they were rich in love, generosity, kindness, prayer and strength and their love for God.

Many have reached out and asked how they can support and offer their assistance to me in this difficult time. I am my mother's only child. I often feel like I am in this alone. I do not do well articulating my need for help because I am usually the one doing the caring and the giving; and I am...prayerful and strong. To alleviate some of the fear, worry and stress that comes with the financial uncertainty of burying your loved one, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone to ask for help to cover my mom's homegoing service expenses. In lieu flowers, cards and food you may have been considering to bring over or send, I ask that you send a donation through this platform to help me defray the cost. It would mean the world to me to place my mom to rest next to my dad for eternity.

1 John 5:14 - "And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us."