On July 1, 1996, my grandmother passed away. It's not like it was a shock to anyone, she had been sick for a long time. Cigarettes was her
enemy. But I told myself that she was going to be okay, because every time
I visited her at the hospital she was sitting up, talking and most of all
complaining about how awful the hospital was. I made her smile. My
grandma loved to play Bingo, it was her favorite pastime. She went at least
three time a week. But she was in the hospital and she couldn't go to
Bingo, so i brought bingo to her. I went out and bought her a couple of
those Bingo lottery games. She was in such high spirits. Two days after
that the hospital released her and she went home with my aunt. I thought
that was a good sign, but they really sent her home to die. A few days after
being home my grandma woke up in the middle of the night and asked for some
bread pudding, her favorite, then after eating the pudding she fell asleep
and ten minutes later she was gone. It hit me hard, very hard. My
grandma and I were very close. She was so excited about my wedding, the
date was set for June 1997, she said that she wanted to help me plan the
entire thing. But she died a year before the wedding. Part of me was
a little angry with her for leaving me, she promised to watch me walk down
the aisle and she said that she would be there when my husband and I started
a family, but she wasn't there. It was the only promise she broke to me.
Four years later, its still hard to talk about my grandma. She was a
wonderful women. I will never forget her and I know she's watching me. I
know she's making sure everything will be okay. My wedding was very
emotionally for everyone. In honor of my grandma, my sisters and I made a
special corsage, to be worn by her oldest daughter. Even on the happiest
day of my life, part of me was filled with sadness. But even though
she is not here today, I love her very much, the whole family does, and
we will never forget all she has done and what she meant to all of us.
We promised to let our children, her great grandchildren, know about her and
to teach them what she taught all of us. Love, kindness, generosity and
respect to everyone and everything around us.