She was such a sweet and gentle woman. One who always had a smile on her face, and her arms open wide ready to greet you. She was a devout woman, and I think I speak for everyone that knew her when I say that she never spoke an ill word about anyone.
She was honest and funny, and when she turned 90 and I asked her how she liked living to be so old, she brought the house down when she answered simply with “Not too much”.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard life had been on her in her younger years, and how things had changed so much for her over all of that time. 90 years is a long while, I kept thinking to myself. A long time to gain experiences, and an equally long time to lose them if you really stop and think about it.
But even still, she was always a trooper, and even in her 90’s she knew how to have a good time.
As someone who works in the medical field, I’ve seen people die. People of all ages, and it was never easy.
This was different.
This was a beautiful experience, albeit a sad one, but it is something I will always remember for the rest of my life.
She was coherent until the day she died, and I told her countless times how much I loved her. How much we all loved her. I looked her in her eyes and told her it was okay to leave, and that we would all be okay.
All of her Great Grandchildren gathered around her and told her how much they loved her, and Blake even told her in his very own way.
I often wondered how many people out there wish they got the chance to do that before a loved one died, and I felt really honored that we were all able to do that for my Grandmother.
Fortunately for me, I was able to really be there for her. I held her hand and gave her sips of water when she would take them. I medicated her when she needed it to make her more comfortable, and I cried at her bedside because I knew we were about to lose a wonderful woman in our lives.
On Monday the 18th around 9:00 pm in the comfort of her own home, my Grandmother took her last breath with everyone around her holding her hand while telling her how much she is loved.
In the end, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.
13 comments:
My goodness. You have brought me to tears here...
I'm sorry for your loss, though you were blessed to have those final moments with her... the ability to say goodbye to her... to spend time with her. Oh and how blessed she was too, to be surrounded by family in those final moments.
I envy you. My grandma passed recently and none of us got to say goodbye until she was already gone...
Cherish that last day... The photos are breathtaking.
The six-fingered monkey- Thank you so much. I'm so glad I was able to be there with her.
sorry for the loss of your grandmother, but this was a beautiful post.
You know other people die but wish your own family could live forever.
Eva-Thank you. Also, please note that I didn't even use one curse word in the entire post. Pretty sure that's a record. ;)
Mike- Exactly.
Moments like these remind you of what is good. This is a sweet tribute to your lovely grandmother. Obviously you got plenty of her genes. Which makes me wonder what kind of potty mouth your grandma had. :)
Hugs to you and your family.
I'm so sorry for your loss, friend. Beautiful post.
Your story and photos made me cry. What a beautiful passing. When my father died he was also at home, but not cognizant. We had all gathered at my mother's house to celebrate my aunt's birthday. We all had a chance to sit with dad and tell him we loved him, and then we went down for cake. Someone went up to check on him after a bit and discovered he had passed away. At first, I felt sad that no one was with him when he died. But then I thought maybe in some way he knew we were all there together. Maybe be heard us singing and knew it was ok to go, and my mom was not alone. We all cried and hugged and were so thankful to have each other there. I can only hope to have an experience filled with family and love when it's my time to go. Thank you for sharing this Candice!
Your story and photos made me cry. What a beautiful passing. When my father died he was also at home, but not cognizant. We had all gathered at my mother's house to celebrate my aunt's birthday. We all had a chance to sit with dad and tell him we loved him, and then we went down for cake. Someone went up to check on him after a bit and discovered he had passed away. At first, I felt sad that no one was with him when he died. But then I thought maybe in some way he knew we were all there together. Maybe be heard us singing and knew it was ok to go, and my mom was not alone. We all cried and hugged and were so thankful to have each other there. I can only hope to have an experience filled with family and love when it's my time to go. Thank you for sharing this Candice!
A beautiful tribute to what must have been an extraordinary woman...
May you find confort in knowing you were with her at the end. So many
of us do not get that.
May you be at peace.
Linda
Candice,
My condolences for your loss.
I must give kudos to you and your family however. Death is a natural part of life. We will all face it. How we face it is the key.
Your Grandma died with dignity, respect and love. And not some experiment in some hospital somewhere where they charge you to poke and prod you until the end.
If I had to go, this is how I would want it to be. With my loved ones around me saying goodbye.
I have a feeling that I will be like some however, that will be all tied up to the machines at the hospital.......(sigh)
Thank you all very much. Y'all are very sweet.
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