Grandmommy's House
We went home to NC for Memorial Day weekend, chiefly b/c we hadn't been home to see my Grandmommy since Christmas.
When we go to Grandmommy's house, the kids love to play the piano for her:
(See the portrait above the piano? That's little *ME* in the dark blue jumper with my brother & cousins, circa the early 80's. :-D)
This visit was super fun, b/c Grandmommy wanted to DANCE!
(The boy in the orange is my BFF Wendy's son. :-))
We got silly...
And then straightened up for one proper pic. :-P
The bittersweet of all this is that it may have been the last time we hang out & visit with her living in her own house (where she's lived for almost 45 years, my mom's last childhood home, the last home in which she lived with her husband.) She's 99, and the last month has been...not so great, (a couple falls & episodes and she's not eating much; but otherwise still in good shape! Esp. for 99!!!) It's not what she, my mom, or my uncle had planned, (much less right now,) but there's a small open window of availability at the best assisted living center in our home area...and it will be a good thing. She has friends there, and it is generally an active, open community with a full-time chef and really good food. :-) They have exercises every morning, shoulder massages on Mondays, manicures on Tuesdays, baking club, gardening club, dances, outings, socials with the seniors from the Baptist church across the street, and all sorts of activities. She'll go Thursday.
Please pray for her and my mom. Obviously it's not the end of the world - nothing will change re: where she can go & how much she can do, (it's not like she's become incapaciated.) It's truly a blessing to have a place like this - very spa/resort-esque, not like the drab "homes" we visited growing up! But it is a transition, (more emotional than anything else,) and some family members are acting like it's a nail in her coffin. My mom is left, as always, to be the anchor for everyone else, and it's draining. Please pray for strength for her and for this transition to be easier & happier than they can imagine. :-)
When we go to Grandmommy's house, the kids love to play the piano for her:
This visit was super fun, b/c Grandmommy wanted to DANCE!
We got silly...
And then straightened up for one proper pic. :-P
The bittersweet of all this is that it may have been the last time we hang out & visit with her living in her own house (where she's lived for almost 45 years, my mom's last childhood home, the last home in which she lived with her husband.) She's 99, and the last month has been...not so great, (a couple falls & episodes and she's not eating much; but otherwise still in good shape! Esp. for 99!!!) It's not what she, my mom, or my uncle had planned, (much less right now,) but there's a small open window of availability at the best assisted living center in our home area...and it will be a good thing. She has friends there, and it is generally an active, open community with a full-time chef and really good food. :-) They have exercises every morning, shoulder massages on Mondays, manicures on Tuesdays, baking club, gardening club, dances, outings, socials with the seniors from the Baptist church across the street, and all sorts of activities. She'll go Thursday.
Please pray for her and my mom. Obviously it's not the end of the world - nothing will change re: where she can go & how much she can do, (it's not like she's become incapaciated.) It's truly a blessing to have a place like this - very spa/resort-esque, not like the drab "homes" we visited growing up! But it is a transition, (more emotional than anything else,) and some family members are acting like it's a nail in her coffin. My mom is left, as always, to be the anchor for everyone else, and it's draining. Please pray for strength for her and for this transition to be easier & happier than they can imagine. :-)
I pray for your strength and your family's strength through this difficult time. Kudos to your grandma being 99!!! We lost my grandma in '07 but she did thrive in assisted living plus she got to do what she wanted to do plus she really liked the people checking in on her to make sure she was ok. :) My mom still was a caregiver in a major way up until her death and even though it was her mother-in-law my grandma trusted her more than anyone. So God Bless your family and please keep us updated!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU SO MUCH, Marcie!!! I'm praying it feels like no big deal. Being 99, she's spent the last full quarter of her life visiting her peers in every home in the area, and she always made us promise we'd never let her to go one. They are a lot different now than 20 years ago, but the thorn is a major point of pride. She was still driving 2 years ago, and the fact that she lives alone independently in her own home has just been a huge part of her identity - it's made her feel way younger than she really is. Horizon Bay will be "fun" with activities & friends; but we all just have to get over the mental & emotional hurdle that this is was not supposed to be the plan right now, you know? If we can all get over ourselves & just rest in the comfort of God & this new experience, everything will be fine. :-) Thank you SO MUCH!!!!!!
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