Jewells of Thought

We know that death is a fact of life and usually is out of our hands as to how and when it happens. Losing our loved ones is extremely bittersweet. Fortunately for my grandparents we know death is not the end. While I know where they are with Christ, due to individual decisions they made, they are not in any pain, however, the holes they leave in our lives are still massive.

Movie night was such fun. We would grab some of Grandma’s favorite snacks popcorn, licorice, cheese curls, and a drink then head to her room for movie time. I miss hearing her laughter.

During the last few months only my mom and uncle could get her to eat a few bites of food. When the restrictions were introduced after that last movie night of our’s. Only mom and her brothers saw her and then it was phone calls. It didn’t take long for us to have withdrawals… we missed her so much in just those few days.

My cousin and her new baby girl wanted one last visit with grandma and the restrictions were tighter. They had come all the way from New Mexico to have that time with her and then they wouldn’t let them. They were even contemplating using the windows. Grandma could have seen them from the chapel or by the window of her room. The day they tried was a rainy day and with the baby they decided that wouldn’t be good. The absolute frustration we had was that grandma’s room was at the end of the hallway by the back door. Any of us could have gone straight to her room without being near another person in the nursing home. Thinking out of the box for a dying woman was not in the nursing staff’s purview as it was for us.

We had been lied to before about some incidents one that included surgery. So when the phone call came in the wee hours of the morning, I believe they called the oldest son and he got the call around 3 am. My mom got the call by 4 am. I still remember the approximate time because I went into the living room and couldn’t sleep afterwards. The Lucy Show was on ironically; Grandma loved watching that redhead.

Although we were prepared, death still stings at any age. We had been at her bedside at least 5 times from Christmas thinking this could be it. God had His timing and grandma was sassy enough to add another 3 months to the full extra year of her life. Her funeral was screwed up due to Covid’s restrictions. The viewing was only supposed to be a certain number of family and a short time for each group. We still didn’t really uphold that, but no chairs were allowed at the graveside service. There were some who could have used a chair for the ceremony we had, that was also frustrating but we dealt with it as well. We had already decided a Celebration of Life would be planned later. Planning that as well is another intriguing story in itself and would take 2 years to execute.

I don’t remember when I first heard about the nursing home deaths in New York, but I felt the fury of righteous anger for the woman who lost both in-laws. To know that this had been enacted as a policy to build up deaths make Covid worse; it was difficult to digest. Especially when President Trump even brought ships in for the specific reason to have a place for the sick to be nursed. That seems absolutely diabolical, but I am biased I love my grandma and loved ones who have been in those types of residences. On top of that to know at least 4 other Governors did the same is sickening.

Do we really think so little of our Greatest generation of Americans… yet what investigations have begun? I would have really liked to see Lee Zeldin in his rightful place as New York Governor. This is my opinion, but one that has taken shape from Fox you-tube videos and reading articles from various conservative outlets.

All I know to do is love your family with all your heart and soul. Make sure they know how you feel. Teach them good, old-fashioned, American values. Yes the Bible is a good teaching tool. I believe in this country, what it is and has meant to the world. My grandparents lived out what it meant to be an American.

Grandma was both a jewel and a rose… a beauty and highly esteemed.