The week after school started, I found myself elbow deep in salsa and relish....with pears and applesauce waiting next up to bat. And then the phone rang. It was my sister calling to let me know that Grandma was in the hospital...
diagnosed with leukemia and a very weak heart, she was going downhill very quickly and wasn't expected to last more than a couple days.
I was able to drive up to the hospital in Ogden with my youngest sister and her husband (who had just returned from their honeymoon and were headed to their Bend reception). We were able to say goodbye to her and hug aunts and uncles and cousins. My Dad quickly drove down from Oregon to be with his Mom in her final days. She was waiting for him.
She passed away the next day as her heart gradually slowed and finally stopped beating. I was there when she left this life. It was peaceful and calm, but it has been hard for me to sort through all of my emotions. I am so happy that she is now reunited with Grandpa and her parents. I know it was a joyful reunion! I feel a deep loss now that they are both gone. Some days it really hurts. Yet, I feel them near and I'm grateful for their legacy and gift of example to me. I feel a great responsibility to continue building the strong legacy they started...a legacy of family, faith, service, and love.
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