Well there is something with the Blogger thing that won't let me reply to your reply. I don't know why. If you have any insights, please let me know. I keep getting an error message when I try to put reply there.
Anyway, yes, my maternal grandma A. passed away on Labor Day in September. I tried to be there for her, but I was about two hours too late I guess. I think in the end, I was the only one in the family that hadn't really let go even though I knew she was going. My mom moved back to Massachusetts in July finally, and was the last family member to see her alive earlier that morning. She died in the care of the nursing home staff unfortunately, which I know is not what she wanted at all. I wish I could have done more for her. I had visited her frequently that week, and had been there the day before as well. But on that Monday, I just didn't time my visit well enough and I missed her. Funeral was on 9/11. Some things I will never forget. I must have written her eulogy a dozen times before I had something that I thought I could use. Then when I did it, no one heard me anyway because most of my relatives are old enough to be losing their hearing to some degree I guess.
My paternal grandmother meanwhile is still alive. She just turned 99 on St. Patrick's Day, and is the oldest resident of Shelburne, MA.
I lost both of my grandfathers when I was 20-21 years old. Only a few months apart. My paternal grandfather passed away December 26, 1991 and my maternal grandfather passed away the following July.
--And thanks for checking in by the way. Most of the time I feel like no one reads this thing except me.
Well, I say go see Grandma as often as you can, so long as those visits continue to mean something to both of you. And, if she's solid, with it, and happy, I'd say think about doing a personal history -- audio record your conversations with her, and ask her about her life, her childhood, her adulthood, career, house, society, what she remembers. She's 99? Means she remembers two world wars, Korea, Vietna'am, The Kennedys (all of 'em!), the moon landing, the birth of the atomic age, the great depression, the development of the computer, the advent of radio AND tv, and so much more...
ReplyDeleteJeesh. Suddenly, I'm envious. :)
Well Doug, they say the crazy ones always live the longest and in my case it's true. This grandma that is still alive is a nut. My dad visits her weekly, but she's not what I would call "solid". She spent a lot of years institutionalized and I'm sure her view of world events would be um... interesting to say the least.
ReplyDeleteHa! And now suddenly I can post. WTF? I couldn't do that a couple of hours ago. I don't know why.
ReplyDelete