Saturday, February 4, 2012

A Day with Gramma.

So I had lunch with my Grandmother today.

She's 85 and has been blessed with good health. She still lives on her own and is completely independent and self sufficient. My sister and I were going weekly for a couple of years when my grandfather was ill and following his death. Last summer we cut back to every other week and then more recently cut back again to once a month. I would like to see her more, but we have to travel to see her and with work and family commitments I just couldn't keep up the weekly or even biweekly schedule. Phone calls help to bridge the time between visits.

It saddens me sometimes that people don't take the time to spend with aging relatives. Sometimes I think there is a disconnect between generations ... and often we just become so absorbed in ourselves and our lives that we don't make the time for them. I'm guilty of this as well, having cut back on our visits over the last year.

I value this time with my Gramma and love to here her stories of long ago. My other Gramma, battling Alzheimers and dementia, lives in a nursing home now and I spend Wednesday evenings with her. I miss the days when she could share stories, offer words of wisdom and a be shoulder to cry on. Her illness stole her away from the rest of us many years ago and left us with her physical presence alone.

If you are fortunate enough to have aging relatives still living in your family, take the time to appreciate them. Spend a day with them and be generously rewarded with their love. Tell them you love them and give them a hug. We never know when our family treasures will be stolen from us.

Enjoy them today.

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