I was on vacation when I got the phone call. My Grandmother Kimmel had passed away. She had turned 86 last month. Now she was finally at peace.
I've been preparing since January for the day. It's still not easy. Vacation was cut a tad short as I had to get back home to make funeral arrangements. I am the oldest heir and the executor of her estate. And now, the eldest in my family tree.
The road to her end was rather rapid. Not even two years since she was diagnosed with dementia, her time has ended. We went from seeing her struggle on her own to my sister moving in to help out to getting at home care worker coming in every day to assisted living to full care at the nursing home. The disease is cruel. It is heartless.
At least she still remembered most people who visited her. She couldn't recall much else in the final months. She stopped eating, she had no interests, and all she wanted to do was sleep. But at least her face would momentarily light up when you walked in the room.
I am gonna miss that stubborn, independent, opinionate gal. Tears stream down my face as I type. Memories flood my brain.
Alice Mae Kimmel |
In my sadness there is also great relief. The whole situation has been extremely stressful and exhausting, both mentally and physically. Not to mention costly. The only left is all the paperwork.
For the first time in many, many years I feel like there's no responsibilites for me. Nothing keeping me in the area. I can go anywhere if I choose. Hell, maybe worldly adventures are too far off. Becasue now, I need to get back to taking care of me.
Side Note:
On the day of my Grandma Kimmel's funeral, my last grandmother passed away while in the hospital. Two funerals, five days apart. It was a rough couple of weeks.
Goodbye Grandma Donna. You were one of a kind.
Donna Siegel |
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