The past week was really the end of things for her. She had cracked some vertebrae in a fall and while in the hospital contracted pneumonia....at 93 years old, the odds really are against you recovering from such insults to your body. In order to treat the pneumonia, she was put on a respirator and was in the ICU at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees. Kudos to the women who tended to her (I only met women on the ICU but am sure there were men there too, but I am giving my kudos to the ladies I encountered). Each one treated her with dignity, care and respect. They were kind to our family, each of the four children (in their 60's/70's) who were able to see her, and to each of her grandchildren....they are truly angels of mercy, those who dedicate themselves to the treatment of the critically ill.
On Saturday evening, 7 of 9 grandchildren (and a few great grandchildren), and three spouses were holding vigil with 4 of her children. (Her eldest daughter, Naomi is ill and was not able to be bedside so please keep her in your prayers as she needs healing and strength)...that's 14 of us in one room on the 2nd floor ICU....quite a crowd. We were all gowned and gloved due to increased infection control (GMom had MRSA as well)....what a sight -- we sort of resembled a tired chorale group LOL. ...we spent a good deal of the evening laughing and talking, more a celebration of the woman and what she meant to us than mourning the events that were inevitable. Grandmom was off the ventilator and was sedated a bit, but was awake and talking to us. She recognized and named each of us, smiling and interjecting when she was able to. It was amazing to me, that she was so close to the end but still possessed her own self. She held our hands, laughed a bit and even made our nurse Grace laugh...Grace was such a warm addition to our small group the end of Saturday, she asked the right questions, told GMom that she and my dad (her oldest "baby") could pass for siblings and told her she COULDN'T be 93 years old... smiles and tears were making the rounds, but I believe the overwhelming feeling was a positive one. We were connecting due to this woman, who had connected so many of us during her life.
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| Gmom in July 2012 with most of her great grandchildren |
For me, I will always always think of her when I see sweet n low...the bright pink packets were her favorite sweetener...no matter what else was available, Sweet n Low was what she wanted and what she'd use. I will always remember the wedding vow renewal she had w/ Grandpop on their 50th anniversary, at the Salvation Army chapel on Allegheny Avenue. I will always remember that she signed cards on the BACK....i don't recall why she did this but she did. That was Grandmom. "Hiya Honey..." "Hiya Chrissy" "Hiya" was how she would greet you when you called (or she called you...) She always thought of her children,....even yesterday my dad was there early in the day and she asked him if he'd been working and then she said "you're tired, you need to rest" LOL She would make sure that I sent her youngest son a Christmas card w/ pictures (I always did btw LOL) but just wanted to be sure we didn't forget him.... She was someone who really had her heart in the right place, and even if you didn't agree with her or her principals, you always knew it came from a place of love. I am blessed to have had her in my life since I was about 5 years old. She was someone who never judged me or treated me differently or as "less" ...she was an accepting and loving person. I remember going downtown with her, on the El from K&A...she took me on day trips to the Betsy Ross House or other historical places, and then we'd stop at the store where she worked and get a few pieces of candy to take home. I will always think of Grandmom and PopPop when I see pansies... they had a garden in their backyard (unbelievable since they lived near me and I had a concrete backyard - no flowers!!) and I always loved their backyard. I will always remember eating pork roast, sauerkraut and her home made baked beans (I didn't like them but I will always remember them!!!! she used butter or lima style dried beans!) Even at 93 she still wrote cards. When I was ill recently, I received a get well card from her...I received a thank you note from her birthday party...she was a maniac still hand writing cards and mailing them. I have half a mind to expect to get a "thank you for being there" card in the mail this week. That would be spooky but not unexpected. She had grace and spirit. I was not the best granddaughter -- too caught up in my own world, the life of my immediate family, to really give her the time she deserved but I never felt that from her...and i will always be grateful that we could pick up where I had left off....I am blessed to be part of her legacy, to have been loved by her and to be part of the continuing circle of life. Her names, both first and middle/Maiden (Naomi Ruth), will always have special significance to me as they speak to biblical stories that are meaningful to me....ones of friendship, sisterhood and devotion despite obstacles.
Rest in Peace grandmom...you are loved and you will be missed.
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