October 24th, 2006 Lyn Collyer Leave a Message at Lyn's Community Sharing Space - Back to Lyn's Page
November 12th, 2006
Lyn's Celebration of life service was attended by a broad community of friends and family. We all joined together in love and found memory of Lyn Collyer. The service was video taped and we will be putting a digital version of it here in the next week or so, along with the text of some of Lyn's letters. Please feel free to bookmark this page and return here as often as you please.
Thank You All So Much!,
Jonathan Collyer
October 24th, 2006
Lyn's Celebration of life service will be held at:
Cambrian Park United Methodist Church
1919 Gunston Way,
San Jose, CA 95124-3599
On November 11, 2006 at 10 A.M.
Afterwards there will be a light lunch in Wright Hall next to the church.
October 22th, 2006
Tim, Glenn, Shelly and I had diner with some good friends this evening. I have had a jumbled mix of reflections about the events of the past few months and about my mothers life. Hopefully much of it will become more clear by the service on November the 11th.
I did just want to provide this link to video of Tim's Special Olympian of the Year award ceremony, at which my Mother spoke.
October 19th, 2006
At around 3:30PM today, not long after Tim had gotten home and kissed his mothers cheek, Lyn's sole left her body. The family had spent much time with her during her last hours. She went peacefully and with grace. Moments later the sun broke through the clouds...
It is time to begin the celebration of Lyn's life.
There will be a Celebration of Life service at Cambrian Park Methodist Church scheduled for the 11th of November.
Please check back for information regarding the service.
Also, after I have had some much needed rest, I will update this webpage in honor of my Mother.
We are grateful for all the affection and care we have received from you all. Please do give us an opportunity to catch our breath. We are all physically and emotionally exhausted. Again, please don't send flowers. -See October 18th-
October 18th, 2006
Shelly and I are sitting with Lyn reading a book while Glenn has a much needed break to go swimming with Tim.
A quick note.... Please do not send any more flowers. The flowers we have received are absolutely beautiful! Thank you all so much for sending them, but we are running out of room to put them and more importantly Lyn specifically asked that rather than sending flowers, friends and family consider making a donation to Special Olympics, Cambrian Park United Methodist Church or Bellarmine College Preparatory.
Thank You,
Jonty
October 17th, 2006
Well I guess the big news is that Lyn is still alive. She is very tired and asleep or unconscious most of the day, but she has opened her eyes and shared some words with us on several occasions. She has decided that she doesn't want any more visitors. I know she dearly loves all her wonderful friends, but at this point she does not benefit much from visits. She will be with you all in spirit always.
We had a wonderful, but very difficult moment yesterday with my brother Tim. He said goodbye to his mother and she to him. On Tim's request Lyn, Glenn, Tim, Shelly and I all held eachothers hands and Tim said a very beautiful prayer in which he thanked our mother for all the wonderful things she has done for us. I have never been so proud of my little brother. He said so much that we had not the strength to say. Then a moment later, tears still in his eyes he made a very funny joke which gave us all a good laugh.
On Sunday we had a braai (South African Barbeque) and cooked some boerewors (South African delicacy). We moved the barbeque by the window so Lyn could watch and brought her a plate so she could have a small taste of the boerewors. Shelly, Glenn and I ate next to the wide open window and we talked about the possibility of going on a holiday. Lyn thanked us and said that the braai was a "wonderful idea".
Lyn and I said goodbye on Saturday night thinking she may have moved on by the morning. How blessed we all are that that has not been the case!
Oh, and I do plan on putting much more stuff up on this webpage including some kind of guestbook for visitors to post comments and information about the service we will hold, most likely in November. Lyn wants it to be a celebration.
October 13th, 2006
I have had the pleasure in the last few days of having my mother share with me many thoughts and tid bits of wisdom. She and I looked through her collection of books. There are a few like "Jock of the Bushveld" which have belonged to her for much of her life, which Lyn says are for my children to read.
My Mother came to visit Shelly and I in our room on Wednesday. We made her comfortable with a few extra pillows and then I read a few pages from "Therese of Lisieux". Terese says that she wishes to continue her work on earth after she goes to heaven, a sentiment I know my Mother and I share.
Lyn has been in a most fascinating state of mind. She has been talking quite a lot about all sorts of things. She said that I will be playing my guitar for her in heaven, that there really is no time which separates us, so I will be there when she gets there. She lost her train of thought once or twice and told me she feels as though she is between worlds, She said that it is "strange, beautiful and kind of fun".
We said goodnight last night not certain if she would be here in the morning. I'm so glad that she is, for we can continue our wonderful conversations. She told me this morning that she has entered a new phase. She said that last night she had a dream that she "went into the now and fetched out the future" and she saw that Glenn, Tim and I were "going to be fine", that everything was going to be OK.
October 11th, 2006
We have had some very special days since the 7th. The family is making much of the opportunity to share this difficult, but beautiful time we have together. My mother and I have had some wonderful conversations about our dreams, our wishes and about the nature and meaning of death in the context of the miracle of life.
Lyn just had a cup of juiced beet and carrot, which she rather enjoyed. She wants to try some of the mashed potato which our dear friends Ernle and Margaret brought us last night. Though Lyn has the opportunity to ask us for any meal or favor she wants and we diligently respond, she is radiant with love and compassion for us all. The love between us is palpable. It is so thick and so strong, it is almost visible. How strangely blessed we are...
Tim has in the last few days come to a much greater knowledge of the nature and meaning of the events in our family. He is a remarkable gift to us all, with his ability to cry for a just a few good moments and then joke with us, play with us and show his most tender love and affection for the rest of the day.
I want to thank you all for your enormous compassion. My mother said to me the other day that Tim is surrounded by angles, that there are so many people in his life who love him and care for him. I am so grateful for the truth of it, but I must say that in this time I too have felt very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.
Sincerely,
Jonty
October 7th, 2006
Lyn is home! She came home on Friday. The family is very glad to have her back.
She is not very strong and needs to sleep or rest for a good part of the day. She has been eating fairly well today and is looking better. I can't tell you how nice it is for Tim, Glenn and I to have her around again.
Though we have begun hospice, we have not given up hope of a turnaround.
Important! While Lyn and family very much appreciate all the phone calls and visits from all of our wonderful friends, it is important that Lyn have enough time to rest and take care of herself.
If possible, please:
Much Love to you all!
Jonty
October 4th, 2006
Hello friends and family! This little webpage is intended to keep everyone updated on how Lyn is doing.
As most of you know, we discovered in July that Lyn has pancreatic cancer.
She is currently at Kaiser hospital. She went in last Sunday the 1st of October and for a variety of reasons has stayed there since. The medical attention she has had there has been very beneficial. It was actually lucky she went in when she did. She has been doing well and is hoping to come back home in the next few days.
As the disease was quite far along when we discovered it and since we have had little success with treatments since, her situation is quite serious. However, we are trying a new treatment, which shows some hope and thus far may have been having a positive effect. Another element is Lyn's extraordinary will power... She wants to live and we are all doing what we can to work some miracles.
I could not overemphasize the extraordinary efforts her husband (my father) Glenn has made to provide Lyn with the best possible care. He spent several weeks constantly focused on researching and contacting by phone the best medical professionals and treatments available. His insistence that Lyn go in on Sunday rather than wait for their Thursday appointment probably saved Lyn's life. He has been at Lyn's side ever since she arrived at the hospital, helping her handle a barrage of medical questions, examinations and treatments. No one has been working harder than he has and no one has gotten less sleep.
Tim and I are going to visit this afternoon. We'd love to have our mother back at home, but no one wants to make that move too soon.
At this point we are trying to limit phone calls and visits to her hospital room. She has been so busy meeting with doctors that she hasn't even had much time to talk to her children. If she ends up having more free time, we will let people know how to contact her.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Collyer