Tribute

Grandma and Emily circa 1977

On the evening of October 9, 2000 I walked into a hospital room to be with my grandmother as she died. Almost all of her family members were at her side. Before she slipped into a coma, she couldn't seem to believe that so many of us were there and had remembered to be with her at this time. A bit of remorse filled my heart when I heard this. I should have spent more time with her. I hoped that she knew how much we all loved her.

My brother Don had previously given her a blessing. He told her it was all right to die. We knew we would see her again. He told her that grandpa was "anxiously awaiting [her] arrival."

As we stood in the room surrounding Grandma's bed, our grandfather's presence was felt so keenly that each of us knew that this family would remain bound together even after this life. We had all been taught this simple truth, but somehow, this experience solidified it. My Grandpa's presence was so real that I thought if I turned my head a certain way, I'd see him standing there, smiling back at me. I knew I needed to do whatever I could to stay faithful and and progress in every way possible so that I could be with my family forever and one day see Grandma again. She enriched my life so fully and every single member of the family was blessed to have known this amazing woman.

As Grandma drew closer to death, her breathing became more and more labored. I felt like she was holding on to her last chance at life. Everyone in the room began to cheer her on and tell her that it was all right to leave us...we would see her again. All of a sudden she became peaceful, her breathing calmed and it was almost as if a light shone round her body...and then she was gone. Her spirit lingered there for a moment. Encircling each of us in her love, whispering to everyone how how happy she was to be our mother, our grandmother, our sister.

I leaned in to give her one last kiss and to tell her I loved her. Her body was cold, but I knew she was close by.

Grandma's sister was in the waiting room with her daughter. Aunt Kay had Alzheimer's Disease and didn't fully understand what was going on, but she insisted on being with her sister. She went into grandma's room where she was told that grandma had passed away. She quietly sat down next to grandma's bed and began stroking her hair. As she stroked and stroked she didn't say a word. All of a sudden her stroking became a little too much and grandma's eyes popped open. Everyone in the room was a little startled by this, but Aunt Kay got a big smile on her face and said, "Well, hi honey!" Amidst all the tears we had a good laugh. Grandma...I know you were laughing too!