My Grandmother Story

Mom’s decision of not letting us see Grandma one last time was definitely for the best. I thank her today for not letting us in there because now all I see when I think of my grandma is her bright smile that could light up a room full of

That day when I returned home from school, my mom’s boyfriend called me asking to speak to my grandmother. Typically, Gus would call my grandmother himself if he wanted to speak with her, which was rare. I found out about my mom going to the hospital from my grandmother after that phone call. The doctor told my family that a stroke afflicted her in the middle of the day. My mom confused the date with her birthday, had trouble getting words out and remembering our family member’s names. The nurse had to take her for walks periodically and exercise her legs and arms because they were weak. Seeing my mother in this condition made me appreciate my mother and everything she does for me tremendously. However, I was terrified for my mother’s health.

I remember the days when my grandma would be the one taking care of me after school. Each and every school day, I would eagerly wait for school to end so that my grandma could come and pick me up to bring me back to her apartment. Each and every day, she would come 15 minutes after school had ended to avoid the hassle of dealing with all the parents coming at the same time to pick their kids up. I didn’t mind though, that gave me time to talk to my teachers about issues that I had or just to socialize with my friends. Once my grandma arrived, I would quickly drop what I was doing, say goodbye to whomever I was talking to, and go straight to the car to keep my grandma from waiting. My grandma would immediately greet me and ask how my day

She immediately came to me , hugging me as tightly as she possibly could. This happened several times afterward, it became a “tradition”. A month passed, and my mom said that Icould finally see my grandfather now that he was feeling better. Finally, the day came and I finally got to see him. He looked so droopy and dull unlike his personality. So I started to to talk to him, he seemed so excited to see me! Afterwards, he gave me my birthday card,and I was so grateful! I could not believe he thought of me while he was sick!

As she weakened, she went into dementia, and the conversation I had with Aunt Dianne when Mike and I visited you helped me deal with her anger and frustration. She was cognizant up until the last two weeks of her life. When I told her that your mother died, she cried. She remembered meeting her at the family reunion in Florida.

The first time I helped her we walked to the bathroom, and I helped her sit on the toilet. The very first thing she would do is reach for the top drawer of the bathroom sink. I would see her open it up and take out a box of cigarettes and a lighter. My grandma then had me turn on the exhaust fan and sit in there with her while she puffed on a cigarette. I was shocked the first time and told my parents about it because I couldn’t help but wonder, “why would you smoke when you have cancer?!” Then it hit me, she already has cancer, she knows she is old, and she didn’t care. It was her choice. It made sense because she knew she was going to pass and she had talked about it to my family and I. There was no reason to try and stop her from smoking cigarettes every time she went to the bathroom because that was her

She meant the absolute world to me, she still does. I miss everything about her. She inspired me so much. She was such a strong person, I loved how she ALWAYS stood up for what she believed in. Her family was her number one priority. Her and I, we were close. I love her so much. I have so many great memories with her. My favorite memory with her is when, it was her birthday, she came to stay a few nights with us, and it was my grandma, Jace, who was a newborn at the time, and I at our

I was eight when it all happened. I knew that my grandma was ill but being a clueless little kid i never quite understood the severity of her sickness. I remember when my dad first told me that my grandma was sick, i didn't think anything of it i honestly thought he just meant that she came down with the flu. We’d visit frequently, and every time i'd always tell my dad i didn't know what he was talking about because she seemed completely fine. Her face still brightened with a the happiest glow when she saw me and my sisters. She still loved to teach us how to bake, even though by the end of it her once neat and tidy kitchen, was now a total mess. She didn't care though because our

The next time I saw my grandma, she was laying in a hospital bed dying of sepsis. My mom showed up to school and we drove to the hospital. I didn't get to say anything before I watched my grandma die, but my mom says her seeing me was enough.

Memories of so many wonderful times of love and laughter are still so vivid in my mind. I daydream about my precious grandmother enjoying beach days, taking me to pick strawberries, or one of our amusing sleepovers where we made forts to sleep in and tried on all of her red hats. Once my grandmother was a member of the Red Hatter’s Club and even though I did not know what that was I knew I wanted to be one. This young 77 year old lady had inspired me to live my life to the fullest. I still look and yearn to see that vivacious white haired angel in the stands at my games or on the bench when I come out of Sunday school. She is still so loved and greatly missed and I can not wait to meet her again. I know she will be there waiting with a smile and a hug to show me her beautiful mansion in heaven and share all her wonderful

“Molly, we have something to tell you,” my parents said, walking into the living room with saddened looks on their faces. I paused the movie and awaited their news. “Your grandma has been diagnosed with cancer.” I definitely was not expecting that to be the news, so it hit me like a brick wall; I was troubled and overwhelmed by the news to such an extent that I was speechless. She has been an important figure in my life for as long as I can remember and has always been there to listen and give me advice whenever I need it. Her insight into the important things in life has helped me and will continue to as I pursue my dreams for years to come.

The following day, I had a strong sense about her and decided to visit alone. She was unconscious most of the day, relatives came and went but I stayed with her the entire day. When it became late, I had to leave

It was the end of the weekend. Her dad had been drinking a lot, so she decided to leave for the night with her friends. When she came back on Monday at dawn, he was sitting on her bed waiting for her daughter to enter the room and gave her a lesson that she would never forget. The next day she decided without telling anyone but her mother to leave the house and never come back, not until my grandfather would still be a part of this world. Weeks later, she

June 11, 2015. It was a regular summer day, or so I thought. Only five days until my fifteenth birthday and I was super excited. My mom had taken the morning off from work to take my grandmother to the doctors. She was going for her regular heart check-up appointment. As we always did, my mother and I drove that morning over to the nursing home in St. Matthews, South Carolina. My mother had recently entered my grandmother into the nursing home because my mom needed to start working more and could not fulfill the obligations of taking care of my grandmother like she normally would. When we got to the nursing home, we parked the car under the awning which was in the front of the nursing and covered a little walkway where people loaded their family members. I got out first and headed back to the room as my mom followed closely behind. When I walked into the room, I saw my sweet loving grandmother sitting there. As always, my beautiful grandmother, with her white hair, her green eyes, her frail but beautiful skin, and her smile glistened as she awaited her day out. My grandmother did not get out much so even going to the doctors was a good day out for her. We helped her into her wheelchair, a normal struggle for my mother and I, and we rolled her down the hallway to the car. We loaded her into the car, another struggle, and we headed off to Orangeburg which was where the doctors office was. While riding to the doctor's office my grandmother mentioned that her hands looked green

Occasionally, I would go on a shopping trip with my Grandma. If I was granted to go you could find my undersized, dainty arms encased around her legs, imploring for a new knickknack, candy, or some sort of other weird thing I would just have to have. We always had the best talkfest when we were by ourselves shopping, we never would worry about a baby sorrowing, my aunt taunting me, or me not feeling I am not getting the attention I felt I deserved. I initiated conversation about her days she uses to go enjoy concerts. After she recalled her