my grandmother

Four years ago today my precious grandmother passed away.

Growing up, my dad and I lived next door to my grandparents and my grandmother and I were very close. When my dad traveled out of town every other week for work, I stayed with my grandparents and I was at their house as often as I was at home the rest of the time as well. There was literally a visible path in the front yard where I would run back and forth.

Now, as an adult, I miss her terribly.

And there are so many things I can relate to with her struggles that I couldn’t when she was alive.

She was a brittle Type 1 Diabetic from age 9 and her blood sugar was always terribly unpredictable, despite her following her doctor’s orders down to the letter.

With my health issues in recent years, I have had so many things happen that have made me think of her and I wish she were here because I know she had to have felt alone in dealing with so many medical problems for so long:

• I’ve developed blood sugar imbalances with some of my meds, and – much like hers – my body does whatever it wants.
• I’ve developed some balance issues and it can be a scary scary feeling when it comes out of nowhere. I remember seeing her go through that as well.
• One of the medications I have recently been prescribed, Neurontin, made me swell up like a puffer fish and I remembered it doing the same to her. However, it also provided some pretty solid pain relief. So, what do you do? Augh!!! I remember talking in circles with her about the same thing.
• Apart from my RA, this degenerative arthritis in my hips is nothing nice. I remember her dealing with some severe arthritis pain as well. And on that note, I found this in her Bible and it has just tickled me to death:

My Aunt Lois gave her this “recipe” for arthritis pain and she saved it. You have to know that neither of them ever drank a drop of alcohol in their entire lives so this is just hilarious to me in my Grandmother’s handwriting. I use it for a bookmark now.

Now that I experience all of these things, I hate to think of her dealing with them without support for so many years. But there is nothing that can be done now.

However, her illness did not define her and she was a wonderful woman.

It’s the little things I remember now too.

Her favorite hymn was What A Friend We Have In Jesus.

Her favorite books were the Janette Oke books she would check out of the church library.

She listened to the Dixie Gospel Caravan every Saturday night on the radio – and my dad remembers that long before my time.

When I was little, we did the Battle of the Slip every Sunday (I hated wearing a slip). As soon as I was old enough, I refused to wear one. To this day, if a dress calls for one, I’m not buying it. It drove her crazy until she went to be with Jesus.

She adored her grandbabies. She went to every single play, choir performance, and awards banquet for as long as she possibly could. When she was no longer able, you had best bring her a program from anything they were involved in or you were in serious trouble.

On that note, she said for many years that she wanted me to have her Bible when she was gone. When I finally was able to look through it, she had programs she had saved going back to when I was a small child in it (I also know where I get my urge to use my Bible as a small filing cabinet).

Our family jokes about the Humphries Worrying Gene. Grandmother’s mother, my Grandmother Humphries, would get worried if she couldn’t get you on the phone and just be sure something was wrong. And then my Grandmother was the same way. And it just drove me crazy and I was NEVER going to do that. Except that I do. So much. – Answer your dang phones, people. Then I won’t have to worry. . . Bahahaha!

Oh, how I wish she were here to worry because I was asleep and didn’t answer my phone now.

Still, as always, she was terribly ill and very tired and so ready to go be with Jesus and I am so thankful that she is no longer in pain.

But she is missed and loved and thought of often.

Be well, everybody. Call your grandparents.

Grace and blessings.