Less than two weeks ago, I dreamt about my grandmother, whose health was remarkably good for her advanced age but had been declining in recent weeks, a not-altogether-surprising change considering that she was several years from graduating from octogenarian status.
In my dream, she was an uplifting vision of a woman I hadn't seen in years, the Grammy of my childhood. She was spry with carefully curled hair and a quick smile for her grandchildren. Her positive energy was palpable, and I couldn't get over the transformation from my grandmother of the present and my grandmother of my dream and the past. The dream made me happy in my sleep and brought me comfort the next morning when I received news that she had passed away in the night.
The dream could be a coincidence - we had been planning to visit her that day, so she was on my mind - but I don't think so. I feel very blessed that my last "memory" of my grandmother is of the spirit that she embodied for most of her life.
She loved her family above all else, though candy was a close second. I suspect that my sweet tooth comes from that side of the family. She was laid to rest with hard candy and M&Ms, her favorites. I'm sure she appreciates the sentiment.
My sister and I used to spend summer days with her while my mother worked. She was willing to play card games with us for hours and played like any girl our own age. She introduced us to fabulous food combinations, such as cream cheese on Ritz crackers. Healthy, perhaps not. Delicious? Absolutely. I dined on cream cheese on crackers the night of her funeral in her honor.
When she and my grandfather would take us out for shopping adventures, they always bought us each a toy, which we could pick out ourselves. It was like Christmas all summer long! Christmas itself was a bacchanalia. She'd shop from Thanksgiving until Christmas and then stay up all night Christmas Eve to wrap all of the gifts. We probably decimated the gift pile in 20 minutes or less. Great memories.
My grandmother is no longer with us, but she's now with my grandfather, keeping an eye on all of us from afar. We miss her.
In happier news, B's and my niece was born the day after my grandmother's passing. (Crazy weekend? Yes, you could say that.) She's adorable and generally calm, except perhaps when I'm holding her, but what can you do. I am looking forward to watching her grow up.
1 comment:
I don't think the dream was a coincidence. I dreamt of my great-grandmother smiling at me the morning of the day she died. I think she was saying goodbye to you. :)
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