rudderless

Away

We have been quiet, as we’ve been away. My dear dear grandmother entered the hospital almost two weeks ago with pneumonia. On Thanksgiving Day, which was also her 84th birthday, she was admitted to Hospice. I can’t say enough about the care she’s receiving at Hospice, and what a lovely and inclusive place it is. We visit everyday and the girls have time in the playroom with my Mom while I squeeze Granny’s hand a little too tightly.

When my dad’s parents were in this phase of their life, I was busy tending to newborn babies. My grandfather’s favorite saying late in his days was, “Family is everything,” and at that time I was feeling a bit of “Baby is everything,” more than anything else. But this time, with my girls a bit bigger, and no real obligations back home in Florida (thanks to John, who’s keeping the boat-prep in motion and the bird well fed), I can hear him saying that. I can see exactly what he means. Granny’s family is gathering for her. Just tonight she had myself, my girls, my sister and her beau, my dad, my mom, my cousin and his wife and kids. By Tuesday she will have two more (beloved) grandsons around her. The phone rings constantly, the cards come everyday. She has touched so many people, she has loved so many people, people who never knew she was busy loving them. She is ultimately the most accepting, faithful, stubborn, and GOOD person I have had the pleasure of knowing. She is my Granny Ross. She is our everything.