My Grandma Brockway

I cant get my Grandma Brockway out of my mind. Maybe she is here with me today. I can still remember her voice , her laugh, her smell the way she chewed gum and drank diet Pepsi from a can with a straw. I miss my Grandma this morning. She has been gone for ten years now. And I still miss her. When I was sixteen Grandma moved in with us. Grandpa died six years before. They were so in love. It was hard to see Grandma with out her best Friend and lover. If you have ever read The Notebook or seen the movie that was my Grandparents. They had so much passion for each other. I didn't really know my Grandparents to well. They lived in Salam Oregon. We saw them once a year. But I still loved them. Six years after Grandpa died Grandma started showing signs of dementia (Alzheimer's). It as hard having Grandma live with us. It took a lot out of our family. It took everything out of my Mom. It was hard to see such a smart woman fade away, to loose her dignity. It was sad to have to reminder her that Grandpa was gone. I hope she knew how much I loved her. Even though sometimes she thought I was the neighbor girl down the street. I feel guilty. I should have payed more attention to her. I was a selfish teenager and couldn't see beyond myself. It was a rough four years with Grandma. My poor mother never had a break. I remember her last Christmas with us. She was physically there. But an empty shell was all that was left of that woman. She was sick and dying. A combination of dementia and tongue and throat cancer made her weak. Fourteen days later we gathered around as a family in my grandmas little room down the hall and my Dad and brothers gave her a blessing. My Mom whispered in her ear to go with Grandpa if he came for her. That night Grandma passed away from this life into the loving arms of her Heavenly Father. She was finally reunited with her sweet heart. I am grateful for the experience of having her in our home. It was the hardest most wonderful thing in the world. I love you Grandma. I cant wait to see you again.