Jane, I'm coming...

Last Thursday, Hopsice brought in the hospital bed, oxygen, morphine, etc. for my Granny. She has come to the end of her battle with cancer. She's been quite a fighter in her 87th year. She made it through the first bought of cancer with flying colors. Making sure she was dressed to the nines for each treatment... Sunday bests and high heels... none the less. I can remember the ladies coming out to get her and commenting on how beautiful she always looked. After treatment, we'd go to lunch and then head back home. She made it through... losing her hair, feeling sick and weak. She bounced back so well, but should I be surprised? She's always been a fighter, always been independent and is a Matriarch in all her glory!

Her and grandpa raised five wonderful children...
She lost grandpa at a young age...
Continued on in life, knowing only one "True Love"...
Watched her grandchildren be born and grow into wonderful adults...
And was fortunate enough to watch 13 great-grandchildren be born and start to blossom...

She was "famous" in my eyes... one I want to be like when I grow old...

It wasn't only a few years ago, I was sitting by her in church and she started to cry during one of the hymns. I reached over and held her hand... she squeezed back. Later I asked her if she was alright... she replied, "I've lost my best friend... and she was the last to go... " After Granny lost her best friend, Jane, she was "alone". Alone in her eyes, even though we were all here and the great grandkids were here.... her generation was gone. And looking back, that moment in church was the moment she realized it... a moment she began to "weaken."

She didn't seem to bounce back after holidays... or "big" events like she had before. She seemed a little depressed even with the visits from kids, grandkids and great-grandkids. They would brighten her day at the time. But as the visits came to an end, the sun seemed to go down with the door closing behind them.

She still has the strength inside her, she can still fight... but what is keeping her going? She's lived 87 wonderful years! She's been the fighter, the one holding us all together... but, we'll be okay, Granny! You will live within us for years to come... you have left us all the most wonderful gifts... your strength, your love, your desire to be...

This morning, I think Granny came to terms with death as she yelled out...

"Jane, I'm coming..."