My Grandpa passed away a week ago yesterday. He was 91 and going strong. A fall, about a month earlier, almost did him in. The trauma doctor gave him 48 hours to live due to the bleeding and swelling on his brain. True to form, he was up and walking and talking exactly a week later. Unfortunately, the hospital released him severely dehydrated, with low blood sodium and Pneumonia. That proved to be a lethal combination for him. It is so hard to think that we lost him due to negligence, when he was such a fighter.
It was so hard to be at their house this past week and see him in everything there, but not be able to feel his hugs, hear his voice (outside of my head), or look into his sparkling blue eyes. Every time I would start to cry I could hear him saying to me, "You tender hearted thing.'', which he has said so many times before. And he was so proud to be a Great Grandfather. My girls call him "Papa" and I know that hearing them say that was music to his ears. We've had the good fortune to have spent several weeks with them over the past few summers and the girls so looked forward to going to Nana and Papa's. I hope that they'll retain some of those memories, of how he smiled when he saw them, of how much he loved them, of cuddling with him in "his" chair.
So the crafty stuff is on hold for a bit. I am exhausted from traveling over 1700 miles in five days with two young kids in tow. The two days that weren't spent driving were spent in the funeral home and at the funeral. And I'm about to turn around and travel another 360 miles on Saturday morning to visit with my Mom and see my Grandma in her new apartment. Here's hoping I can squeeze in a nap or two while Grandma and Grandpa mind the kids! Now go hug someone you love!
So the crafty stuff is on hold for a bit. I am exhausted from traveling over 1700 miles in five days with two young kids in tow. The two days that weren't spent driving were spent in the funeral home and at the funeral. And I'm about to turn around and travel another 360 miles on Saturday morning to visit with my Mom and see my Grandma in her new apartment. Here's hoping I can squeeze in a nap or two while Grandma and Grandpa mind the kids! Now go hug someone you love!
5 comments:
What a beautiful tribute to such a lovely man. Take care of yourself, Colleen, and let Jimmy take care of you, too.
Oh, this story just broke my heart this morning. What a wonderful relationship you've had with this man all of your life......you are truly blessed. And the fact that your children can put a face and a memory to all of the stories that they'll hear of him as they grow up is priceless.
I'm so sorry for the negligence that brought his life to an end, but rest assured that you will see him again someday......God must have been most anxious to add him to his choir.
Oh, I'm so sorry. This made me cry, which I do not do often.
How lucky you were to have someone like that in your life.
Good luck in your travels.
Beautiful, Colleen! So dear. No chance your girls will not remember how special he was.
Colleen, your mom sent me this today, and it made me sob. I'm sobbing right now (much like I have been for the past few weeks.) I miss him terribly too.
xoxoxKim
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