My grandmother has late stage Alzheimer’s with recent difficulty sitting up or transitioning from bed to chair as well as eating/drinking/talking very little. I called family to come see her before we possibly stop talking or sleep most of the time. I am so overcome with grief and cry every day. I wrote a poem as a possible funeral reading. It has brought a lot of comfort to me and I pray that it brings comfort to you too.
Rooted in Her Love For my Grandmother
Even if I forget the time or the day,remember how I used to say—“Come by me like a gourd vine!”or “High as a Georgia pine!”Those pieces of me still live in you—rooted deep, and growin’ still.
Even if I forget how to speak,remember how no picture could catch me quiet—always talkin’, always laughin’,a blaze of spirit too bright to hold.
Even if I forget how to walk,remember the days I carried you on my hip— your little world tucked in close to mine.The Lord gave me strength then,and He’s the one carryin’ us now.
Even if I forget your name, your voice, your face,remember when I held your hand and whispered, “I love you.”That came from deep in my soul—and the soul don’t forget what the mind lets go.
Even if I forget who I am,please let this truth stay:inside this worn and slowin’ body,I’m still the Lord’s—and I still love you.
Even if every memory fades like evening light,even if this world slips quiet beneath my feet,our love will remain—held in the heart of God,forever and always.
And even if you forget how I was before,remember this: I have been made new.Through amazing grace, I’ve gone on home, to a place with no more suffering.
We’ll see each other again—whole, radiant, and rejoicing—before the throne of Jesus Christ.
Journaling is one way to help sort out feelings, get out anger, vent, and please also write the joy you get.
No matter what you do
No matter how you think you are dealing with the grief
No matter how prepared you THINK you are...
Nothing prepares you for the moment that your loved one dies.
If you and or grandma are persons of faith know that will help, maybe not now or next week
Remember grandma as she was, not as she is now with her mind not working. Would she really want to continue to live like this? I am guessing not.
I have a saying that I keep by my calendar.
"Crying is a way your eyes speak when your mouth can't explain how broken your heart is."
Lean on your memories and faith to make it through the impending loss of your beloved Grandmother. When I lost my Husband in 2001, it was devastating. I held onto my wonderful memories and did what I could to honor his life. I still miss him every day.