Goodbye Grannie

About 5.3 million people have alzheimer's disease which is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. One of those people who just lost her battle was my grandmother, Peggy Griffin. An otherwise healthy and lively person, my grandmother suffered over 10 years with gradual memory loss. At first, the signs were subtle- she would repeat stories within the same visit or forget where she put things. She gradually moved into confusing the tv remote for a telephone and forgetting who I was or where I was living. I'm still not really sure she ever knew Ryan or that I got married, but she would smile big when he came into the room and at least pretend to recognize him. Or maybe she just thought he was cute and thought she was flirting with him :) The end stages have been tough for my family in Athens, particularly my Dad and Mom who took her into their home until they could no longer provide for her basic needs last summer. Finally forgetting how to eat, she survived for over a week before finally her body gave in and she went to Heaven to be with the Lord and our Grandpa yesterday morning at 11am. The ironic part about that was I was at the veterinarian for Skylar's yearly checkup sitting in the same exam room where we put my kitty Minnett to sleep just two months ago when my Dad called me with the news. 2010 has been known to my friends as the "year of the babies," but it's been a tough couple of losses for me as well.

I haven't seen my grandmother in about a year because my mom thought it would be too difficult to see her during my pregnancy. I'm also not going to be able to attend the funeral 8 hours away in South Georgia on Tuesday because I'm 38 weeks pregnant and could really deliver any day now. Since I feel so far removed from the reality of her passing away, and truthfully have missed my Grannie far longer than the past year, I again choose to remember the endearing qualities about my grandmother from growing up instead of the way this horrible disease overtook her body:

1- First and foremost, my grandmother was an amazing Christian woman. She taught Sunday school for years and I have many fond memories of Sunday morning at Hahara Methodist Church. I am blessed to have a family heritage so deeply rooted in faith. This is why her life should be celebrated- if anyone is with the Lord in death, it is her.

2- My grandmother had a great way of telling stories of when she was little and making history fun. A history buff and teacher, she always told us about her college days at Lipscomb in Nashville, what it was like to live in the depression (ie no elastic for your underwear!), and brought out fun memories/trinkets from her life as a little girl. Some of the poems her friends wrote in her journals were so cute: "kiss me quick and let me go, before dad comes round with the grubbin' hoe."

3- Grannie and Grandpa were ALWAYS on the go in their retirement. They took trips and cruises all over the world, but sometimes my brother and I were lucky enough to go along with them. I still remember Universal Studios, the Chattanooga aquarium, and my first airplane ride with them to Colorado. From them, I learned to love travel and seeing the world outside of where I live.

4- She was a great quilter and cross-stitcher. One summer when we went to Panama City, she took out her cross stitch kit and taught me how to follow a pattern. Who knows- this may have led me to develop some of the traits I needed to become an engineer. I never did pick up the quilting- I think she didn't want me messing up anything she had on her quilting stand- but I have a beautiful quilt she made for me when I was growing up. I look forward to passing it along to Adalyn one day.

5- Finally, my grandmother was always laughing and enjoying life. When my grandfather was alive, Jake and I would pack up for a week each summer and visit both sets of grandparents in South Georgia for a week. Grannie and Grandpa would make sure we were constantly entertained with trips to McDonald's, a neighbor's pool, the movies, or cookouts with neighborhood kids. I can still picture Grannie on the back porch of her last house, laughing as we city kids learn to spit out watermelon seeds in the sweltering south Georgia heat.

These and many more memories of my grandmother are what we should choose to remember as we celebrate the light she was in our lives. A sweet, caring, and vivacious woman, she will be missed by many. May her memory live on as a small part in all of us. We love you, Grannie.