All of my life, I have been extremely close with my grandmother. I call her Ma Ma (Yes, I am in the South. Thankyouverymuch.) My sweet Ma Ma has had a hard life. She has had multiple brain aneurysms and had to have a craniotomy each time (though thankfully, they were always caught in time). She has had three miscarriages. When her youngest son was 29, he was fatally shot in the head. A year later, she lost her beloved husband of 45 years. Now, bless her precious heart, now, she has Alzheimer's and has to live in a nursing home.
When I got married, 10 years ago, we moved away. She would send me letters with $5.00 in them. When she knew I was coming home for a visit, she would walk to the drugstore on the corner near her house to buy me a Mountain Dew, so it would be waiting for me. It *kills* me to go see her now. She has no idea who I am. You know what though? She still treats me like she does. That is just her way. She has never met a stranger. I am thankful for the visits with her like I had this weekend. I took my kids to see her. She enjoyed them so much. Not because she knew they were her great grandchildren, but because she just loves children. She just smiled and giggled the whole time.
I am so grateful that my mom and her siblings can go everyday and visit her. They take care of her, even if she has to live in the nursing home. I so wish that I lived closer so I could go every week to see her. You can't tell in these photos, but my Ma Ma, my mom, me, and my daughter all have the same blue eyes.
One day, my precious Ma Ma will no longer have to endure the pain of this world. One day, she will meet her sweet Savior in Heaven. She will be reunited with her love and her baby. One day she will be whole in mind and will have a new body. I know one thing, even though she will have a new body, I will recognize her instantly when I meet her in Heaven as well - her heart will be unmistakeable. As much as my flesh doesn't want to think of her leaving Earth, my heart longs for the day when she finally has Peace.
I love you, Willa Virginia. I am proud to call you grandmother. Thank you for all you are to me. You have touched my heart like no other. I can't wait to name my daughter Willa. I only wish I could share my journey to her with you.
**edited to add: Gracious! LOOK at my roots! WOW! They didn't look that bad in person, just so you know!
2 comments:
Oh, what a touching post. What a dear woman! And I love the name Willa!
What a sweet post about your grandmother. I wish I still had my grandmothers to talk to.
Where in the south are you? We're in VA, and I love it here.
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