My Grandma - What A Great Lady

This morning I received an early phone call. It was one that I knew was coming. My grandma died early in the morning. It has come as a shock to some people and was expected by many others. After reading an email from my Auntie late in the evening I knew what to expect. Deep down I realised that the time had come.

I wrote earlier in the year about how my family visited her in January following a stroke in October. It was quite a shock to see how her health had deteriorated. Even writing a get well card had taken me a month or so to complete such was the feeling, and perhaps non-acceptance, brought about by her condition.

I'd been kept up to date with her situation by family members who have visited on a regular basis. For that I am very grateful.

It was my grandma's 84th birthday a couple of months ago. Miky bought a card, not a birthday card, for her but I couldn't find the courage to write in it. I stared at the card every few days or so but couldn't bring myself to write in it. Last night it hit me that I had to write it. In it I wrote about how much my grandma meant to me and how much we loved her. It took a long time to write. Part of my heart was written into it. It gave me the opportunity to say goodbye - something that I wouldn't have the chance to do in person. Writing that word, goodbye, was very difficult.

Then the phone call came this morning. I felt guilty for taking two months to write in the card and that my grandma wouldn't get to read it. But I've said what I wanted to say and feel much better for it. I still felt the need to post it even though she wouldn't receive it.

I'm sure that the funeral will be large and well attended. One thing not in grandma's favour is the age that she reached as many of her friends, if still alive, won't be able to attend due to probable ill-health or lack of mobility but she has a great many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a bit of a trailblazer and went bush to be a deputy principal in 1982. She went to China and I get the feeling that she did that around 1980. I still have the dragon that she bought me as a souvenir. A very well educated women she spoke French and German and was even studying for her doctorate until late in her 70s. She was a very inspiring woman. Can't wait until someone writes a book about her.

I've been asked to be a pall bearer at her funeral and I consider this a great honour and a great way to pay respect to a great lady. I hope that she is farewelled in style. At least I'll have another chance to farewell her, if not in person. I need to pay my respects. Someone needs to video the funeral service as I feel that I'll be overcome with emotion and unable to take everything in. They'll be a lot about her that I don't know and I'd love the opportunity to review that at my leisure.