Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Go Wherever You Wanna Go

In the few days before my grandma died, she slipped into a coma and never woke up.

I had trouble understanding the concept. In the back of my mind, I always thought she would get better.

We spent all of our time at my grandparent's house. I would sit in Moma's room and hold her hand, while her favorite band, Dailey & Vincent, played softly in the background.

At Dwayne's insistence, I called my dad. I honestly hadn't even thought about it. My grandma had always thought of my dad like a son, and my dad loved my grandma.

My dad came to see her and admonished me for not calling sooner. I hadn't talked to him in over a year. And I was still in denial...thinking my grandma was going to wake up.

That same night, the night before she died, I was talking to my grandpa about her terrible breathing. She seemed to be struggling... My grandpa said that was the 'death rattle'.

The next day I sat with Moma some more...I held her hand, and told her I loved her, and begged her to wake up, but she never did. I finally kissed her goodbye, and Dwayne, Chelsea and I left.

We weren't gone five minutes before my mom called me and said just two words, "Come back."

We went back and I ran in the house and my grandpa said, "She's gone."

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After everything was over, after the wild grief that I hope to never ever have to go through again, my mom told us,

She was sitting with Moma and holding her hand, and suddenly Moma's breathing eased up, and she was breathing so easily. My mom called out for everyone to come. Moma was lying there, so peaceful, breathing so easily, and while Mom was still holding her hand, Moma just slipped away.

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That was two years ago. I was in no shape to write about this until now. I'm still writing it with tears running down my face, but it's really okay.

4 comments:

  1. This is a huge step for you.

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  2. I look at the picture of Lois Pearl Crowder (from when, late 1940s?), at her bright eyes and new wristwatch, and think her time was just as real as this time --just as full of fun and sorrow and surprises. I'm glad you chose it. We can't go back to those times, wish we could, but we can enjoy a continuum in which their influence has no definable end.

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    1. Hi Geo.,
      That's something I hadn't thought about but so true, I love that.
      Thanks so much,
      Michelle

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