2005-01-05
4 generations no more
Dear Diary,
Lastnight, My great grandmother, died. She was almost 92 years young. She had spent the last years of her life in a little nursing home in my home town.
To be honest, I feel horrible. You see, she developed alzheimer's about six or seven years ago, an hasn't known or recognized ME for the past 4 or so. It was so difficult to see her like this, that I just avoided the whole situation all together. Since I got the news lastnight, I have felt nothing but ashamed for the way I acted. I have been back to my home town about 4 times since moving from Minnesota, and not once gone to see her.
When I was little, I remember a wonderful relationship with my great grandmother. I used to ride the schoolbus to her house after kindergarten. There she would be, standing by the road, waiting for me. Once inside, I would sit down for my afternoon snack, which was sweet tea(my favorite) and toast. I remember the tea always had a spoon and lots of sugar in the bottom. I used to stir and stir, but that sugar would never dissolve. In fact it always ended up in a big clump at the bottom of that glass. I would just eventually scoop it out and slurp it while humming,"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." All the while, grandmother would be in the kitchen making me some of her famous cheese toast. There was nothing REALLY famous about it now that I think back. It was just a slice of cheese on a piece of bread. But to me, it the greatest toast in the whole world.
I also remember an incident that involved a poorly graded paper to be signed by my mother. I think I hid it under a chair in hopes it would never be found. Oh well, grandmother and I will keep that one to ourselves.
I will always have memories of the Easter Egg hunts and the family Christmas gatherings. I will never forget her backyard that she work so hard to keep beautiful. She had these gorgeous rose bushes along the side that everyone in the neighborhood envied.
I will miss my great grandmother, but she would not want me to be sad. So, I will use this day to reflect on the wonderful memories I have of her.
Love until later,
d
lolamae at 7:57 a.m.