pieceofmymindJune 9, 2007 at 5:20pm
June 13th 2007 16:11
…that is the day and time that my grandmother died. We were all there at home with her, as she requested. The whole reason for my mom and me taking care of her at home over the last month was to honor that request. We knew that she would not make it through the night, so my mom called everyone. We all just hung out at the house as my grandmother lay there laboring with her breathing. We laughed, talked, cried, and just spent time together with each other and with her while she was still alive. We put a chair right next to her bed so that any of us who wanted to could go in her room and sit with her.
This lasted all morning and early afternoon. Toward five that evening, my brother, my husband, and myself were talking in the kitchen. By major miracle, for some reason, I decided to go into the room and sit with my grandmother for a while, right around 5:15pm. As I sat there holding her hand, I noticed that her breathing had started to slow down. I told my husband that he should go get my mom and my uncle. While he went to get the both of them, my grandmother’s breathing was getting slower, and slower. She opened her eyes and looked at me, and then she closed them again. Then her breathing was getting slower and slower. My mom, my uncle, myself, my husband, my uncle’s wife, my cousin…all of us gathered around her bed, holding her, telling her we loved her, and telling her that it would be alright. We all held her as she took her last breath. When she took her last breath, there was a tear from her left eye; I wonder if she was crying or if it was because of dry eye.
When the reality of what had happened set in, we all began to cry. 5:20pm.
We were all just sitting there with her body; initially, I think we were in shock. We sat there crying, and talking, until about 7:00pm. We weren’t ready to call hospice because we weren’t ready to let her go. Finally, when the nurse came in, and the funeral home arrived to take her body, we all said our tearful goodbyes as we knew that we would never see her again. I am telling you, that was one of the hardest moments in my life.
I have never been with anyone when they took their last breath. As scared as I was, I felt very strongly that my grandmother shouldn’t be alone when she died. I am glad that God led me to go into that room when He did, because we all would have missed that moment if I hadn’t. I will never forget my grandmother or this experience. Even though I expressed frustration at the fact that no one helped me and my mother, I am so very glad to have spent almost every single day of the last month of her life with her, taking care of her, and telling her that I loved her. Even though I thank God for that time, I still wish for more. It is a lot harder to deal with than I thought it would be, but I guess one day it won’t be so bad. People have been coming to the house bringing food and expressing their condolences, so many people that we almost feel like we want to go away or stop answering the door and phone.
If you have someone near to your heart, take it from me; spend as much time with them as you can. When they are gone, it will give you so many more memories to reflect on. Tell them how much you love them today because tomorrow is not promised. Knowing that someone is going to die is not preparation; it is simply knowledge. Someone who was in my life for my entire life, someone that I love dearly, someone who taught me, took care of me, and loved me to no end…my grandmother is gone, and I will forever miss her. She never knew about this blog, but she might now. Granny, if you are out there somewhere in the great unknown, I love you so very much. I dedicate this blog to your memory. God Bless your spirit.
This lasted all morning and early afternoon. Toward five that evening, my brother, my husband, and myself were talking in the kitchen. By major miracle, for some reason, I decided to go into the room and sit with my grandmother for a while, right around 5:15pm. As I sat there holding her hand, I noticed that her breathing had started to slow down. I told my husband that he should go get my mom and my uncle. While he went to get the both of them, my grandmother’s breathing was getting slower, and slower. She opened her eyes and looked at me, and then she closed them again. Then her breathing was getting slower and slower. My mom, my uncle, myself, my husband, my uncle’s wife, my cousin…all of us gathered around her bed, holding her, telling her we loved her, and telling her that it would be alright. We all held her as she took her last breath. When she took her last breath, there was a tear from her left eye; I wonder if she was crying or if it was because of dry eye.
When the reality of what had happened set in, we all began to cry. 5:20pm.
We were all just sitting there with her body; initially, I think we were in shock. We sat there crying, and talking, until about 7:00pm. We weren’t ready to call hospice because we weren’t ready to let her go. Finally, when the nurse came in, and the funeral home arrived to take her body, we all said our tearful goodbyes as we knew that we would never see her again. I am telling you, that was one of the hardest moments in my life.
My Granny 2/2/27 - 6/9/07 We Love You And Will Forever Miss You Granny!
I have never been with anyone when they took their last breath. As scared as I was, I felt very strongly that my grandmother shouldn’t be alone when she died. I am glad that God led me to go into that room when He did, because we all would have missed that moment if I hadn’t. I will never forget my grandmother or this experience. Even though I expressed frustration at the fact that no one helped me and my mother, I am so very glad to have spent almost every single day of the last month of her life with her, taking care of her, and telling her that I loved her. Even though I thank God for that time, I still wish for more. It is a lot harder to deal with than I thought it would be, but I guess one day it won’t be so bad. People have been coming to the house bringing food and expressing their condolences, so many people that we almost feel like we want to go away or stop answering the door and phone.
If you have someone near to your heart, take it from me; spend as much time with them as you can. When they are gone, it will give you so many more memories to reflect on. Tell them how much you love them today because tomorrow is not promised. Knowing that someone is going to die is not preparation; it is simply knowledge. Someone who was in my life for my entire life, someone that I love dearly, someone who taught me, took care of me, and loved me to no end…my grandmother is gone, and I will forever miss her. She never knew about this blog, but she might now. Granny, if you are out there somewhere in the great unknown, I love you so very much. I dedicate this blog to your memory. God Bless your spirit.
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