Day 77: March 17, 2016 My Grandma

Nicky Sue - Elva's look alike

Following written by Nicole Suzanne -

March 17, 2016  My Grandma

Day 77

During my lunch, subway lunch (I get super excited about these specific meal times), I got a text from my mom saying that my grandma had been rushed to the hospital. It was out of the blue, yes, but not an uncommon occurrence. I tried not to think to much about it, but in all honesty I felt unsettled. When driving to my math class (#homeschooled) we were talking about how she'll most likely be fine. She's been through the ringer many a times. As I said, this wasn't uncommon. 

I arrived to my math teacher's house, looked at my text messages only to read the first sentence of a text from my mom to all of the children. I got as far as "Grandma is dying." She didn't beat around the bush there... Thanks mom. In that line though, I knew if I was going to make it through the next hour of math I had to put away the phone. I went through math class drinking lots of water (because the rim comes up just enough so that if I had any threatening tears it helped hide them). I knew if I said the words out loud I would loose it. Needless to say, in the car, I lost it.  

This is my first experience with death. I could not have asked for a better entry into this part of life. I got to say goodbye. She was surrounded in love in her last moments. We sang to her, we cried with one another, we mourned her passing, as well as celebrated her new reality - Heaven. In the days following family was ever present. I love Christmas for the fact that it is a whole day with just family. This was at least a solid week with family. I absolutely loved it. 

I am blessed. Yes, losing my grandmother was hard, and weird because emotions are just weird things. In this time though I (and my family) have been greatly loved and cared for. Rockville is on top of the food game, I love food. Also, sympathy baskets? They're the bomb. The the biggest blessing of all was the Sunday before she passed away. That Sunday evening around the dining room table my family and I watched Elva in such a free state. I had never seen my Grandma to be so hilarious before. Do you know that that little old lady once stabbed a groundhog with a pitch fork? The reason being, the groundhog had angered her. 

My last memories of this amazing woman are good ones, ones filled with laughter and family and all that good stuff. For that I am truly grateful. God is so good, even when you can't see it.