This has been two very tough months for me. I feel like I have gone from one major catastrophe to another since I returned home from this years workshop. Most recently though I have lost one of the most influential and important people in my life, my grandmother. Since I was a baby she took my sisters and I for the summer so that we could experience life on a farm and allow my parents to have a break in the summer. Because of this recurring contact and many fond memories learning how to cook, garden, sew, quilt, be a good neighbor, friend and all around good person I was very close to her.
I had the privilege of spending the last wonderful five weeks of her life with her during her hospital stay. My grandfather chose to place her in the hospital close to my home because the care she would receive was better and so that I could assist him with her care. He drove sixty miles every day and stayed for several hours during the morning or afternoon and I visited her during lunch hours and then a late night visit every evening for several hours. As her condition roller-coastered daily a number of these visits were filled with various events like quietly watching a television program together, reminiscing about the good old days, fixing her hair or just holding the bucket and wiping her face as she got sick for the hundredth time. On July 8th the effects of rheumatoid arthritis took its final toll on her tiny frail body that put up such a strong and valiant fight since she was in her late thirties and first diagnosed.
Needless to say my school work along with everything else has suffered during this time and I need to apologize to all of you for not contributing my fair share of the load. I hope to spend an immense amount of time catching up over the next few weeks. My paper will hopefully quickly regain it's focus and I will regain mine in the end. Thank you for reading through what is well more than you probably ever wanted or needed to know about my situation but I felt putting it on virtual paper was very therapeutic for me.
3 comments:
Julie--
Your grandmother sounds to me a lot like the one I loved so dearly until she died about a decade ago--at almost 103. I was with her on the morning she died, holding her hand and remembering all those beautiful things that she meant to me, much as you have done here. A few days later, I wrote a memorial about remembering her now (even now!) every time I make cinnamon toast, which was a simple and special to me as the things you describe here.
I suspect I'm not the only one who can share your need to spend these weeks with her instead of us; your choice was well made.
Take care of yourself.
d
(That's "as simple and special to me"...duh. And mine was published by our local newspaper on what would have been her 103rd birthday. I know how therapeutic writing about it can be!)
:)
d
Julie this is a beautiful tribute to your grandmother. There is no question that you made the right time commitment. You are fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend this time with her. Take care.
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