..........
It's a sad day here in the Plaid Pants - my great-grandmother Leona, died yesterday at the age of 91. I'm heading home tomorrow for the services on Saturday.
My mother had been taking care of her for several months on a daily basis, she was actually quite mobile and, well, cantankerous for a 91-year old; she got around relatively well but did need someone to help her with certain things. Up until my mother began taking care of her, they were never very close; Leona was hard to get along with, and could be downright cruel a lot of the time. But over the past few months she and my mother did grow close, so my mother seems to be taking this pretty hard.
When I was home for Christmas I got to visit with Leona for about half an hour at her house, and she seemed fine, the same as I'd always known her to be. An incredibly small woman, she barely came up to my mid-section.
I remember commenting to my mother after we left Leona's house that she was so much sweeter on this visit... sometimes you wonder if subconsciously someone knows it's the last time you're going to see them. When my grandfather died a few years ago, he was out of it pretty bad with dementia for awhile beforehand, but when I came home for Christmas right before he did die and visited him he sat up in the bed and immediately recognized me and gave me a huge hug. I've wondered if he knew it was the last time I'd see him then.
And now I'm wondering again. Living away from home and one's family, only seeing these relatives at holidays really, this has got me wondering if it'll be routine, that my last visits with many of my loved ones will be short visits during the holidays.
I am more surprised by Leona's passing yesterday than I was with my grandfather; like I'd said, he'd been sick for awhile, but Leona, while not a super-trooper or anything, seemed like she'd hold on for a few more years. When I spoke to my mother on Tuesday, before Leona died, my mother had described some of the stuff she'd done with Leona that day and everything sounded usual, routine, and then Wednesday... Leona was gone.
Rest in peace, Leona.
It's a sad day here in the Plaid Pants - my great-grandmother Leona, died yesterday at the age of 91. I'm heading home tomorrow for the services on Saturday.
My mother had been taking care of her for several months on a daily basis, she was actually quite mobile and, well, cantankerous for a 91-year old; she got around relatively well but did need someone to help her with certain things. Up until my mother began taking care of her, they were never very close; Leona was hard to get along with, and could be downright cruel a lot of the time. But over the past few months she and my mother did grow close, so my mother seems to be taking this pretty hard.
When I was home for Christmas I got to visit with Leona for about half an hour at her house, and she seemed fine, the same as I'd always known her to be. An incredibly small woman, she barely came up to my mid-section.
I remember commenting to my mother after we left Leona's house that she was so much sweeter on this visit... sometimes you wonder if subconsciously someone knows it's the last time you're going to see them. When my grandfather died a few years ago, he was out of it pretty bad with dementia for awhile beforehand, but when I came home for Christmas right before he did die and visited him he sat up in the bed and immediately recognized me and gave me a huge hug. I've wondered if he knew it was the last time I'd see him then.
And now I'm wondering again. Living away from home and one's family, only seeing these relatives at holidays really, this has got me wondering if it'll be routine, that my last visits with many of my loved ones will be short visits during the holidays.
I am more surprised by Leona's passing yesterday than I was with my grandfather; like I'd said, he'd been sick for awhile, but Leona, while not a super-trooper or anything, seemed like she'd hold on for a few more years. When I spoke to my mother on Tuesday, before Leona died, my mother had described some of the stuff she'd done with Leona that day and everything sounded usual, routine, and then Wednesday... Leona was gone.
Rest in peace, Leona.
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2 comments:
I'm very, very sorry ja...
-TM
thanks, tray
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