Grammie went to be with her husband, son, and friends this morning at 2:10. I was with her until 1:15. I am happy she is at peace in heaven, but will miss her dearly. I was fading in and out of sleep once I got home from the hospital last night. I started to dream and saw Grammie in her hospital bed and the song, "I'm Coming Home...I'm coming home, just tell the world that I am coming home." started playing in my dream. Just then, Pat woke me up and said that my phone had gone off, sure enough it was Jenny telling me that Grammie was gone. The last words I heard her say on morphine were, " There is no room for me, it is full." we all started crying and my aunt told her that her husband saved a spot for her and to go home, she then said, "happy,happy, happy!" I am trying to follow her wishes and be happy for her, but it is hard when I will miss her so much. Holidays will not be the same without her and although she was 93, she was a fighter and never showed her age. She showed us all a sign in patience last night as she put up a fight until the very end. Nothing could stop Grammie, only God when it was time.
She tickled Izzy's feet on Monday and told us how beautiful her eyes were, just like Matthew's and that her hair looked red. :) She was an amazing role model, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She used to take care of me on Tuesdays and I will always cherish our times together. I'll miss her amazing, carefree personality and her genuine compassion for anyone she had met. She thanked all the doctors and nurses up until the end for taking such good care of her. Her laugh, that is one thing I hope never leaves my memory because it is just a precious sound.
10 children, 19 grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren, what an extraordinary woman! She has blessed the Earth with her descendants! She was proud of all of us and let us all know it! I can only hope to be half as wonderful as she was! It is hard not to be sad, but I keep reminding myself that God graced the Earth with her presence for 93 years because clearly He knew we needed her more than He needed her at that time, but now, He needs her more and she needs Him. It was very powerful being with family last night and standing by her side watching her put up a fight until the end. We all knew she was strong, but Lordly, even God must have struggled to get her to let go and come home. :) We all said the rosary together, which I am sure made her very proud, because of you Grammie, all those people gathered together to pray. I am sure you are doing cartwheels in heaven and happily holding your husband's hand, no longer your inhaler in your hand. You are enjoying breathing easy and preparing for the big job you have ahead of you, to be all of our guardian angels. You thought it was hard on Earth to take care of us, I'm sure we'll have you rolling your eyes and shaking your rosary beads for all of us from above.
We love you dearly and will never forget you. We will cherish our many wonderful memories we have of you, even the hilarious stories you gave us to remember you by in the end. Before I left you last night, I made sure to follow through on what you told me the other day. You told me Izzy's feet were too cold and to get her socks, your feet were very cold as you were nearing the end, so for Izzy, I covered your beautifully painted toes up with a blanket, kissed you, and told you to go home and to tell Granddad I said Hello. I can't wait to meet him someday in heaven and to be reunited with you, but until then, I know that I am blessed to call you my Guardian angel.
Thank you for being the most compassionate, wonderfully loving person I have ever met and for as you said, "leading by example and not preaching", you have taught me more than you'll ever know. Most importantly, thank you for raising my mother to be just like you, she has taught me everything you have taught her and more. I know your spirit lives on in her and she'll guide me the way you would have guided me if you were here. When you said there was no room for you, all I could think was, you are so much more than one person can be, a jack of all traits, they did have to make room for you, a special spot just for you. I am sure people were storming the gates of Heaven to greet you, you were loved by so many and had to say goodbye to so many people along the way. I sure hope they were all there to greet you and that you were able to breathe a breath of fresh air without your inhaler and ran to greet them, with a Kit Kat in hand. :) I love you Grammie and always will.....until we meet again.
Izzy and I said this prayer to you before naptime today,
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. AMEN!"
I love this picture, you were more excited to sit next to Izzy than to worry about the picture.
We all love you!
Perkins will forever remind me of you! Izzy will continue to cheer for the Twins for you! She loves her pink Twins outfit!
I hope I look that amazing at 93!
Such nurturing!
Love your smile and can hear your laugh when I see this picture!
SO happy and excited, even after 10 children, 19 grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren!
Three generations, all because of you Grammie!
We couldn't get Izzy out of her carseat fast enough for you, you loved looking at her little hands and her long fingers.
