Jesus came and called my dear Grandma home to be with Him last night. Ninety-two years He gave to her on this earth. She was blessed with good health most of the time. She was able to stay in her own home with lots of loving care from her children and the help of Hospice, for several months, this year. Truly a blessing for her.
We knew the time was quickly approaching and she would be leaving us, but when the reality comes it is so final. After my dad called me last night, memories washed over me. Of Christmases at Grandma’s, of going to Grandma’s after school and eating donuts for our afternoon snack, of staying all night at Grandma’s with my cousins, of Grandma coming to our house and how we would try to hide her purse or block the door so she couldn’t leave, of birthday gifts from Grandma, of raking leaves at Grandma’s, of Grandma standing at the window, waving, when we would leave her house, of Grandma spending time here in Kansas, of Grandma reading books to us, of Grandma giving us Smarties and of us knowing what drawer she kept the Smarties in, of Grandma singing hymns as she sat at her quilting frames working on a quilt, of Grandma passing the food around again at a meal and querying, “Are you sure you got enough?”, of loving to drink out of the set of Fred and Barney Flintstone children’s cups that she had, of playing in the woods at her house.
I rejoice for her that she was blessed in life and blessed in death, to go to be with Jesus. I rejoice for us that we have good memories. The tears rolled down my cheeks because parting is sad. It means change and separation. And it does hurt, even though we are rejoicing too.
Her lungs were failing these last several months and she’s been on oxygen. Her oxygen tank was turned up to the highest level it could be and they had brought in morphine for her to take to make her comfortable. The last couple days she was saying funny things to my mother and aunts that were there caring for her. We used to laugh sometimes at funny things she’d say or do and she would always say, “At least if they’re laughing at me, they’re not laughing at someone else.” We just knocked our old house down this past Friday. Mother told Grandma on Saturday that we had. Yesterday, Grandma told my aunt, “I was going to go help them tear that old house down, but I hadn’t got there.” I think Grandma would smile to know that even at the end, she gave us something to laugh at.
Death always makes me think of life and the people in my life that I treasure. It makes me squeeze them a little tighter, smile at them a little brighter, and love a little harder.
So today I say Hello to Life and Love and Memories!
Embrace your loved ones, do a kind deed, celebrate life, make some good memories.
Linking up with Lisa.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2012
You listed so many of the memories I wanted to write about last night. But through my tears I couldn’t even see what I was typing so I let it go with just a couple. Thanks so much for writing the post that was in my heart!
She will be missed but oh how wonderful that she is now with Jesus! Makes heaven seem so much closer and more real somehow. So happy that we will see her again someday!
It’s so neat that you have so many memories of your grandma. Neither of my grandmothers were living when I was born so I missed out on a sweet relationship like you had. I’m sure she’s rejoicing in Heaven his morning.
Matthew doesn’t remember his Grandma’s either. They both died when he was young.
It is special to have Grandma’s. I’ve been very thankful for my kiddos to have two very good Grandmas.
beautiful memories.
your grandma was well loved.
Memories and love are wonderful gifts!
How sweet to have lots of memories and comforting to know you will see her again! Makes me think of this song:
“Would we truly long for Heaven, if this life was perfect here? If we had no pain and heartache, if we never shed a tear?…”
“Yes dear Savior, we are longing to be safe on Heavens shore. And these trials only make us, long for Heaven more and more!…”
Wonderful song! Wonderful Savior!
How sweet to read such a loving tribute to your Grandma! What a God given gift those memories are!! May Our Loving Father comfort your heart at this time of separation…Hugs to you and your family!
Thank-you!
Thanks for the wonderful tribute to Grandma Bussey. Truly her life was blessed with so much good and our lives were blessed by having her. So many memories of her coming to help us any time we had a need. She was a virtuous woman.