Apr 27 2008
Living and Dying
My Grandmother who was 98 just passed away. It is very sad, but it is also a very happy time. She was ready, and had been ready. I am sure that it was very frustrating for her for the last few years. Her mind is as sharp as ever, and we as a society let them go to waste. She knew everything about everything right up to her final days. How do I know this? I visited her just three weeks ago. It is a long trip about 250 miles (about 402 km), but I am glad I saw her. We are close, probably even closer now.
I do not want to get to spiritual because I know my views are very different from most people, even though I see them as being more balanced, but I know that her spirit is still alive and well. It makes me cry to think that she is with my Grandfather now, who she missed dearly.
It all puts things into very sharp perspective. My Grandmother was a very great lady, living from 1910 until Friday. Incredible. So what does that really mean? What did she do with her life, how did she live it? What happened in history? Heck she was married during the great depression. Her husband was told to stay home during the war to take care of his family and manage factories that supplied the war. One son was in the Airborne Rangers, another in Vietnam. One Grandson is now in Iraq. There were tremendous changes in civil rights, the economy, technology, and even transportation.
But there she sat in her room needing assistance to do nearly everything for the last 5 years. A mind full of wisdom and history, a mind that really needed to be exposed to the world. There she sat waiting for her next visitor, watching the Detroit Tigers. She was very disappointed that Brandon Inge got moved to the outfield this year by the way.
So what can we learn from this? Things that seem big to us really are not. My grandmother lived through all that stuff without anything really effecting her. It is part of life. Things happen, situations arise, come, are dealt with and we move on. It does not really change what life is all about. It does not really change the things that are important. What is important is are you happy personally? Are the people around you happy? Are you contributing in a good and positive manor? Are you making a difference?
