Many things have changed since my last post. Grandma breathed her last earthly breath on September 9th. Her body had been rapidly making it harder and harder for her to get along. She fainted a few weeks ago while alone and fell. She had some bumps and bruises, but no broken bones. Still, she was unable to stay alone after that. There was a lot of thought and prayer about what to do, where she should live or who could live with her. Greg's dad (Grandma's son) showed a lot of wisdom in his slowness of decision because the move would have been so stressful for her and she was able to die in her own home. And, although I will not give details, there seemed to be no fear or pain in her passing. She felt she was going to faint and then she was gone.
I have experienced the death of the grandparents on my side of the family and my mother, but I was living far away from my mother at the time; Grandma we visited every week. I think I will feel this more. I knew it would not be much longer. I talked with the children about it and cautioned them that when we leave Grandma's house and she says goodbye to pay attention and know that it could be the last time. But, oh, how I will miss kissing that soft sweet cheek goodbye! There may have been times when I considered the time that it took in our schedule to visit Grandma, but I always absolutely loved being there, seeing her, visiting with her, listening to her thoughts. A few weeks ago I was priveledged to make her breakfast. Her coffee was weaker than my tea. She liked to dip her toast with butter and jelly into the coffee-water as she ate. She had a bowl of KIX with milk and half a banana. And she would tell me about her flowers, or the pictures she had been going through. She was pure joy. An example I have frequently given to others to describe her: Greg got one ear pierced when he was a teenager, when that was in. His parents were not thrilled. When Grandma saw him she looked at his pierced ear and then the other and asked, "Why did you only pierce one?" She was always full of grace and love.
I'll save the other changes for another post. This one is only Grandma.
