“Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?” –Mary Oliver*
Three of my grandparents died when I was fairly young. So for many years my GrandmaB (my kids called her “Candy Grandma,” can you guess why???) was my only grandparent.
She passed away this morning after suffering from dementia for several years. Of late she didn’t even know her own name, much less the identities of those who came to visit.
I have many memories of her, perhaps the most distinct being her pain as she watched her oldest son–my father–die of cancer. I can only imagine how deep her suffering was, and remember her saying that she’d never expected to outlive my father.
So I’ll travel to Utah to join the family in celebrating the life of this beloved woman. It will be a thrill to see the extended family, as I suspect that it might be a very long time before we all have reason to gather again.
*Thank you, Deborah, for this bit of poetry.
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