Have you ever felt like you were on a deserted island with your problems? I was several thousand miles away from home when I received a call that my mother was dying. After trying and trying to get a flight home, I just couldnt. I slumped to the floor crying. Frankly, my husband and daughter were surprised I was this upset. You see, my mother had been abusive to me my whole life, including the last five years when wed taken care of her in our home. To some in my family, her dying seemed like a solution to the problem.