Life and Death

Well, Tuesday night, Jeremy's Grandmother passed away. This would be the reason you haven't seen a post from me since Tuesday. She was a spry woman until about two weeks ago when she had a stroke. This was hard on Anna and she had a lot of questions. What 6 year old wouldn't. It was her only living Great-Grandmother and though she was not as spry in her older age, she still had an impact on Anna's life. She passed on at the age of 89 years. There was a viewing of the body Thursday night in which Anna could not understand how she could be in heaven and we could still see her on earth. She is not old enough to fully understand the spiritual as in God takes our spirit on. She wants to be able to see it. We explained it the best we could and she then just wanted to be held so she could see Grandma's face. She then proceeded to ask a hundred questions about why her eyes were closed and why her hands were like that and who painted her fingernails. (We had been to the nursing home Monday to see her and she did not have polish on her nails then.) The list goes on. She was trying to fully comprehend everything.

On Friday we had a nice lunch provided by the officiating Pastor's church. It was really good and we had leftovers last night as well. We had try to prepare Anna for the funeral (all the kids went except for the baby) the best we could. It was a beautiful sentimental overview of her life and I learned alot about her that I never knew. Grandma was a great painter, although not famous, she played piano, she always had enough of everything at her house for ALL the grandkids to have their own, she and Grandpa were never apart until his passing in 2000, and the list goes on. She loved to sing classic hymns and she could tell you stories of her life as if they happened yesterday. I used to love and listen to her stories. I held up okay for the funeral as did Jeremy. Anna broke down for a while and really understood then that Grandma was not coming back. Tiffany had sent a beautiful letter with memories of Grandma that were just precious. It was a nice funeral and people all remembered the good in her. The ladies who did the music did a very good job.

After that, we went to the cemetery. Anna wanted to leave two flowers there, one for Grandma and one for Grandpa, so we let her put them on the casket after they finished the ceremony there. It was bitterly cold outside, but everything just seemed so nice. Late last night we went back up to the grave site and the flowers over her grave looked beautiful. Anna wanted a purple rose, so I let her have one. She understood that it was Grandma's flowers. She was also fine with the fact that Grandma has passed on and her physical body is buried in the ground next to Grandpa's.

It has been a difficult week for all and especially for the all the kids. I didn't think Anna would have to experience death this young, but she has handled it all extremely well. I praise God that Grandma was a Christian and that it gives us peace to know that she is walking hand-in-hand with her husband again and playing the piano again. She was an amazing lady from what I have heard.

Anyhow, thats all for today. Will resume regualr posts tomorrow. God bless.