My kids and I were so blessed to have the opportunity to go visit my grandma (my mom's mom) in Atlanta two weeks ago. My mom's youngest brother Glenn, who has been taking care of my grandma's affairs since she had to leave her home and move into assisted living, called us to say that she wasn't doing well. My mom, my sister, the kids and I all got plane tickets for that next weekend and headed to see her. It was amazing how well everything fell into place for the trip, even down to good prices for last-minute tickets. We stayed with my aunt Pam, uncle Glenn and cousins Alex and Chris for the two nights we were there. It was great to catch up with them, and my kids had a fun time getting to know them. G was little the last time we were there, and Scout had never been to Atlanta. G learned a little about chess from my cousin Chris, and Scout spent her time chasing their dog and following my other cousin Alex.
We visited my grandma a few times over the three days, though she was pretty tired and stayed mostly in bed while we were there. The kids gave her a card they'd made for her, and I explained who they were. She seemed to recognize everyone else. She looked frail and weak, though she'd been eating a little better that week. When she was busy with a meal, we hung out in the lobby. The home has a dog named Calvin that they adopted, so my kids loved playing with him. Garrett also interjected himself into a group of residents who were doing a puzzle and had some good, albeit a little mixed-up, conversation with one lady in particular. (Imagine the conversation of a 4-year old combined with that of a senior with early-stage dementia and slight hearing loss. Sweet, funny and hard to follow.)
We also visited my grandma's house, where I have inumerable fond memories of family trips, mostly at Christmas time. My mom has three younger brothers, and those who weren't living in Atlanta would stay at my grandparents' house, while the rest would come for the day. My cousin Andrea, my sister and I got relegated to the basement to sleep on my grandpa's army cots, and we thought it was great. Every year we'd put on a "show" for the adults, standing on the fireplace hearth down there, holding our imaginary microphones, and singing to whatever cassette tapes we'd brought for the trip. I recall one amazing performance set to the music of Alvin and the Chipmunks, which included some stellar choreography to "Uptown Girl". The visit was always better if we happened to get snow while we were there. I distinctly remember thinking at one point that Georgia must be a northern state, with all the inch or two of snow we got once every two or three Christmases. Hey, when you grow up in South Texas with no chance of snow, it seems like a big deal. At my grandma's house this visit, it was fun to watch my own children run and play where I used to at their ages, being fascinated by pine cones and basements and air vents close to the floor. I wanted to soak up every moment.
Exactly one week after we left Atlanta, my mom called to say that my grandma had passed away that morning. It was quick and peaceful. Though I am sad to have lost my sweet grandma and my last grandparent, I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have spent time with her in those last days and for being able to have my children experience some Georgia moments and say they knew Grandma Myrtis.
We visited my grandma a few times over the three days, though she was pretty tired and stayed mostly in bed while we were there. The kids gave her a card they'd made for her, and I explained who they were. She seemed to recognize everyone else. She looked frail and weak, though she'd been eating a little better that week. When she was busy with a meal, we hung out in the lobby. The home has a dog named Calvin that they adopted, so my kids loved playing with him. Garrett also interjected himself into a group of residents who were doing a puzzle and had some good, albeit a little mixed-up, conversation with one lady in particular. (Imagine the conversation of a 4-year old combined with that of a senior with early-stage dementia and slight hearing loss. Sweet, funny and hard to follow.)
We also visited my grandma's house, where I have inumerable fond memories of family trips, mostly at Christmas time. My mom has three younger brothers, and those who weren't living in Atlanta would stay at my grandparents' house, while the rest would come for the day. My cousin Andrea, my sister and I got relegated to the basement to sleep on my grandpa's army cots, and we thought it was great. Every year we'd put on a "show" for the adults, standing on the fireplace hearth down there, holding our imaginary microphones, and singing to whatever cassette tapes we'd brought for the trip. I recall one amazing performance set to the music of Alvin and the Chipmunks, which included some stellar choreography to "Uptown Girl". The visit was always better if we happened to get snow while we were there. I distinctly remember thinking at one point that Georgia must be a northern state, with all the inch or two of snow we got once every two or three Christmases. Hey, when you grow up in South Texas with no chance of snow, it seems like a big deal. At my grandma's house this visit, it was fun to watch my own children run and play where I used to at their ages, being fascinated by pine cones and basements and air vents close to the floor. I wanted to soak up every moment.
Exactly one week after we left Atlanta, my mom called to say that my grandma had passed away that morning. It was quick and peaceful. Though I am sad to have lost my sweet grandma and my last grandparent, I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have spent time with her in those last days and for being able to have my children experience some Georgia moments and say they knew Grandma Myrtis.
Grandma Myrtis, me, G, my mom, and Scout
My sister Andrea, my grandma and me
My Uncle Glenn trying to convince Scout to be a Georgia girl
Playing with Calvin
Doing puzzles
Learning about chess with Chris
Hanging out with Alex
Running with pinecones in my grandma's backyard
You guessed it... this is where we used to perform. I guess Scout got the gene.
G on the chin-up bar we loved to play on in the basement
Sitting on the wall of the driveway out front right before we left
1 comment:
Ashley - It was so good to see you at the most random place ever! You have a beautiful family. I hope we run into each other again soon. Love ya! Shanna
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