This has been a rough last week and a half. My grandma unexpectedly became sick and after 3 days in the hospital, passed away this last Monday. She was 70 years old. It all happened so fast, I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I had told some of my friends, I'm okay, we weren't really close, but the more I've thought about it, we weren't NOT close, either. I always felt comfortable going to my Alabama grandparents house. I never felt awkward or self conscious visiting them. I didn't get to see them very often, due to living out of town and crazy schedules, but I know that my grandparents loved me and I loved them. My grandpa passed away almost 5 years ago, and with graduating and starting my job as a nurse, I didn't visit my grandma as much as I would have liked. The highlight of my years growing up, was going to Alabama for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and seeing my grandparents and uncles, aunts, and cousins. The last few years when I've had to stay home and work holidays, it just hasn't been the same.
Whenever I eat chicken and dumplings, I always think of grandma, she made some of the best I've ever had. Whenever I drink a coca-cola, I think of grandma, she always had a fridge full in the garage. Of course, I was raised on no caffeine, but after my mom fell off the wagon after 20 years of no coca-cola(this was only after her doc told her the caffeine in coke would help her migraines), and after almost 5 years of being married to Brad, I now am in LOVE with coca-colas(usually only on my work days though, I've got to have something to get me through those 12 hours shifts). But whenever I hold a cold can in my hand, I always think of Grandma and Grandpa
I have so many memories of grandma. I remember when I was little, we would go visit and she would meet us at Show Biz pizza( it was WAY better than Chuck-E-Cheese's). Grandpa would always give us kids a rubber fishing worm when we would leave their house. We didn't have cable at home, so we would get to watch Nickelodeon at my grandparents house. We also didn't really have video games at home, so when we went to Alabama we would get to play Nintendo with my cousin Jason. When we went to grandma and grandpa's house, my parents would always drive us over the tickle hill. Sooo much fun, that when I was 19, some of my friends and I went to a YSA conference in Dothan, and I took them over the tickle hill. It was awesome!
I remember how excited I was when grandma started using facebook, so that she could see pictures of Raelee as she grew. I felt like facebook was helping us become closer, even though she wasn't the best at leaving comments. But hey, she was 70 using the computer, that's awesome, cause my dad doesn't even know to to do facebook lol.
Now nobody is perfect and no family is perfect, but I think that's what makes life and relationships interesting, I know that grandma loved me, and I loved her. I know I will see her again one day. I'm glad she's now reunited with grandpa. The funeral and viewing are tomorrow, so we're going to spend to weekend in Dothan. Prayers would be appreciated during this time, especially for my mom and uncle's and aunt's. They had to make some tough decisions last weekend leading up to my grandmother dying, and I know this is going to be hard for them. Thank you!
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