Sunday, June 1, 2008

End of another era

Well, yesterday morning I got a call from my mom that Grandma Wade had died. When I talked with my Aunt Julie about it on the phone a couple of days later I was touched by how she told me things had happened. She said she was tired and didn't want to go see her the night before, but did anyway. She said there was nothing different about her and she was just tired and wanted to go to bed. The next morning she got the call that she had passed away peacefully in her chair waiting for her medication. I guess in the home she was living in, in the mornings they all woke up and came to the community room where everyone was dispersed their medications. Aunt Julie said Grandma got up and got ready and sat in her usual chair and about 30 minutes later they called her to get her medicine and she had apparently passed peacefully in her sleep. No one even noticed. For the people who knew my Grandma they knew her to be a very put together person. Every summer her and my Grandpa would take off in the motorhome and travel around. She would buy a new wardrobe and was always going to the "beauty salon" to get her hair done and her nails done. So for her to wake up and actually get ready to leave on a trip to come back to Arizona was just the way she would have had to do things. And as I was reflecting back to my life with her in it I was remembering all the things we went through and did. Growing up we had so much fun spending our weekends at the lake waterskiing. Grandma water skiied until she was 70 I think (could be off a little, but let's just say she was old!) Her and my Grandpa were such fun to be around. We loved going to their house for Sunday dinner and in the summer travelling with them in their motorhome to stay at the beach. Grandma always had the motorhome stocked with everything we all loved. From cheese hot dogs to M&M's and tons and tons of soda (which we never had much of at home!) We would also get to have sleepovers and wear her and Grandpa's T-shirts and have pancakes for breakfast. The cookie jar was always filled with Chips Ahoy cookies and the freezer with Jell-O Pudding Pops. And for Christmas our stockings were always filled with exciting Avon supplies. As I grew up and started a family of my own it was hard to see how Grandma was starting to change with Grandpa gone. You could tell she was sad and lonely and sometimes took it out on others. I am glad to know though that I had many wonderful times with my grandparents and that my life was more wonderful with them in it. I know Grandma has gone back to be with her eternal companion and that her life is now complete living with our Father in Heaven.

3 comments:

Ally said...

So sorry about your grandma. Isn't it so great to have those memories!

Amber said...

What a beautiful tribute to your grandma. I'm happy that you have so many fond memories of her to share with your family!

Becca said...

Sorry to hear about your Grandma!