My grandmother taught me not to be afraid of death, but to live every moment like it’s your last and to appreciate time spent with the people you love. She was a great woman and my life has changed because of her. She lived in Newfoundland until I was ten years old, so I didn’t really have a strong relationship with her until I got older. When most of her children were living in Nova Scotia, she decided to live the rest of her life close to them. My grandmother moved to be with us in Nova Scotia eight years before she passed away in a nursing home. Family friends sent us their regrets and always asked if there was anything they could do, but nothing seemed to help the pain my family and I went through. Of course everyone gets upset when someone dies, but my grandmother was the center of our family that always held us together.
Grandmothers are those people who sneak you candy when your parents aren’t looking, give you money every time you visit and basically spoil you every chance they get. My grandmother was a very happy person who made jokes under her breath when someone got on her nerves. We shared many memories over the years that I will never forget. My favorite memories were when my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, mom and dad and I would go to Prince Edward Island for a vacation, for a week in the summer. My grandmother would spend hours at the pool watching me jump off the diving board and then giving me grades for my dives while cheering me on. As my grandmother grew older, during family gatherings, she would often close her eyes to take a nap. After that she would feel refreshed and be able to interact better with everyone around her.
The year before my grandmother passed away, my family became the closest we’ve ever been. She moved into a nursing home close to my house and I would visit her everyday. My family and I bought her fish to keep her company and always brought my dog up to see her every chance we got. I was the youngest grandchild and had more time to spend with her compared to the other grandchildren, which made our bond stronger. My grandmother was a very quiet woman who was always there listening even if she didn’t understand what you were saying. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a few years back but that never stopped her from enjoying time spent with family.
Although I had shared many days with my grandmother when she wasn’t sick, the best days were her last. We enjoyed many hours in her room reading her diary of when she travelled with my grandfather to Spain, Ireland and England. My grandfather had died three years before leaving her to be more dependant on the rest of the family. He needed more medical attention than her, and because he had been in World War II he had to live in a Veterans care facility. Their relationship stayed strong when they were separated and my grandmother continued to be a part of his life.
Even though she couldn’t communicate verbally, her body language showed me that she was ready to listen whenever I needed someone to talk to. She would squeeze my hand every so often as if to let me know she was still listening. I don’t remember ever wanting to leave her bedside the last few days before she passed away. The day she died will be something I will always remember. She had been someone in my life that had said few words but that look on her face always made me feel like she was proud of what I had accomplished so far. After practicing each week to perfect my piano pieces, I took every opportunity to play for her. I had a small organ at home that didn’t have enough keys in order for me to play my music correctly. The large Yamaha piano that sat in the corner of the Great Room of the nursing home gave me to chance to practice playing in front of people and enjoy the beautiful sounds that were created.
She had had her eyes shut for a few days with barely any movement. Most of my family flew in that week because we knew what was about to happen. On
February 1st around 10pm we were gathered around her bed knowing it would be the last few minutes with her. Our family from all over Canada and a few from the USA were together for the first time in years. We were geographically so far away from each other that it was rare for us to show up at the same place, let alone in the same room. She opened her eyes for the last time and looked at every single one of us, probably making sure we were together. She was awake for what seemed to be forever but really only a short time. Each one of us had tears in our eyes, but we kept them open so that we wouldn’t miss any last moments together. We thought she had awakened from her coma and some miracle had actually saved her. She shared her sweet “nanny” smile showing that she loved us, then she shut her eyes for good.
Most of us cried that whole night, some tears of agony and some of happiness, knowing she would be safe in heaven. My grandmother’s death was very difficult on our family, and I still don’t understand why God took her from us. You may say the way she looked at us was a different way to end her life because she hadn’t opened her eyes in a while, but to me I knew she did that to show my family she was so proud of us.
My grandmother showed me to not be afraid of death. As long as you’re accompanied by family and people you love, you’ve accomplished something in life. Death is always hard, but I’ve heard it many times that we always need to move on. I had no idea what that meant, and I was only 15 when she died so no one expected me to know how to handle myself. I am no longer scared of death or of life because I am trying to follow in my grandmother’s footsteps. She lived life to the fullest. Her warm and friendly smile touched the lives of many. She was so proud of her family and taught us to appreciate what we have before we’ve lost it all.
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