Her Smile
Though her smile is gone forever,
and her hand we cannot touch,
still we have so many memories
of the one we love so much.
Her memory is our keepsake
with which we will never part.
God has her in His keeping,
we have her in our hearts.
Though her smile is gone forever,
and her hand we cannot touch,
still we have so many memories
of the one we love so much.
Her memory is our keepsake
with which we will never part.
God has her in His keeping,
we have her in our hearts.
I was witness to the death of my Gramma today. It was everything you would imagine witnessing a death would be. Sad, touching, scary, creepy, and eye opening.
I was sitting at the head of the bed, in view was Gramma and my Mother. My Mom was leaning into Gramma holding her hand to her chest. Gramma's body was shaking and her lips moving in and out blowing air. She didn't have her teeth in so her face looked a little saggy around the mouth. Gramma wasn't coherent when I got there. Her eyes were only open a slit and it looked as though her body had already started to shut down. Mom offered to move so I could say goodbye to Gramma, but I declined. While I didn't mind being there for my Mom, to support her, I wasn't comfortable being that close to Gramma in her state. To be honest, I was scared of getting close to her. She didn't look like Gramma anymore. The room was small and full of family all watching Gramma take in her last breaths. Gramma stopped breathing a few times and my heart jumped into my throat, but then she'd gasp and start again. "Just kidding" I imagined Gramma saying. That thought made me smile. Finally Gramma's body stopped shaking and her breathing was no longer a gasp. I could see a vein in her neck pulsating with her heart beat. Her breathing got lighter and lighter and then finally stopped. The vein continued to pulsate, I watched it thinking Gramma would gasp for air again and we'd start all over. The vein stopped... and it was over. Mom started to cry, the rest of the room stayed silent. I couldn't watch Mom cry like that, it made me cry, both my older brother and I ducked out of the room. It's hard to see your parents so vulnerable. While it was a sad day to watch Gramma take her last breath it was also a good day. Gramma's quality of life had diminished so much and she was so lonely. I've been told that Gramma loved to dance so I can imagine now that she's reunited with Grandpa they are dancing in heaven.
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