My Grandmother's China

A couple years ago my Grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Last year she was placed in a nursing home. I was gifted with her china. When your family lives in two different countries it's always a challenge to visit often and when you do eventually get to see them it is always a tremendous blessing. This Christmas I got the opportunity to visit her.

My Grandmother has always been fiercely protective of her independence, especially as she got older. I remember it took my aunt and her doctors almost a year to convince her to use a walker; and she most definitely was not pleased when they felt it necessary to move her to a nursing home because she could no longer live on her own.

As far as crying hearts go mine definitely shed some tears on seeing the effects of the disease. I remember the last time I saw her a couple years ago, she was living on her own, and doing her own thing with no help and with no seeming intention of slowing down. To see her depending so much on people was heartbreaking, because I know that if she could still speak as easily as she could a couple years ago, the whole family would have gotten an ear full.

I was however happy to see that despite the loss of memory, the one thing that remained was her pleasant demeanour and her faith in God (now I suppose that's two things : -)). She was always singing some carol or a song and whenever you spoke-though you could tell that she was trying to figure out who you were-she always had a ready smile. That is what comforted me every time I left her side right up until that last night I spent in Canada, the fact that she seemed happy.

I suppose what I am really trying to say is that I love my Grandmother immensely, and there isn't a time when I can look back in my past and not see her there. There also isn't an area of my life that she has not influenced. I am glad I got to see her again. I hope I get to see her again really soon; and I am glad that I have her china, because in addition to the memories that I hold dear I have something that she owned for the greater part of her life and I do so plan to cherish it with all my heart.

Yours,

Family...: -)