Granny

originally posted Monday, February 12, 2007 on myspace


end of an era one might say..
After 84 years on this earth, my sweet Granny decided to move along to her next destination... rejoining her husband after 4 years and 2 months of separation.
Funny actually, you know how things are told after the fact and suddenly there is meaning when a day, a week, a month ago they seemed so trivial.
Our first destination upon arrival in Oklahoma City was my aunt's home in Norman. As we sat around in a house that echoed, Jodi said... "you know she needed a new winter coat... so last week I asked her if she wanted to go shopping and she said yes... but as we stood in front of the mirror at the store, her with a brand new black wool full length coat on nodding, she suddenly said 'I don't think we should get it'.. and of course, I said, 'of course we should mother, it fits you perfectly'.. and she said 'no.... I don't think so... I'm not going to be here long enough to wear it'... I totally blew her off and said something stupid like 'now, come on, don't be ridiculous. I don't want to hear it!'... and I can't help but think that she was trying to tell me something and I ignored her... And of course we all reassured her that no, there was nothing there to know ahead of time. Granny was fine, healthy, and feeling good and Jodi did just exactly what she was supposed to do as a daughter.
As I was sitting in a faded upholstered chair at the Ritter-Gray Funeral home on Wednesday afternoon, my cousin Britni said.. "you know my dad and mom had lunch with Granny on Friday and my dad said she looked at him across the table and grabbed both of his hands and stared at him for a few seconds.. she didn't say anything, but made sure to look him in the eye the entire time..." Apparently something was murmured about wanting to talk, but of course in the rush of life, it didn't happen.
Britni also told me that Granny had actually mentioned to Larry (her dad) and Jodi (my aunt) that she had dreamed of Grandpa every night that week. of course she did... their anniversary was coming up.... would have been 66 years had my Grandpa been living. So on Saturday morning, she got up.. made herself some oatmeal... went back to bed to do some 'correspondence'... called her younger sister...and then died. No detail necessary, but it was fast. very fast. the best way really.
She died on their anniversary. February 3. I remember when I learned that fact I thought about how she once said to me when I asked how long she'd known Grandpa when she married him..."I reckon I'd known him long enough" That was her way of saying...not long at all.. but still, they were together for 61 years and are now together again. The way it should be of course.
WE.. as we refer to ourselves... "the grandkids" with the exception of those who could not be there and those who chose not to be there, made a trek out to the cemetary the day after the funeral to check on her.. and grandpa. It was upsetting and comforting at the same time to see his gravestone and the freshly dug dirt where she had been placed on top of him along with the flowers still fresh from the funeral. We huddled around with the Oklahoma wind whipping through us crying and remembering. Then I asked a question... just a simple question... and without pause the answer came from my cousin Rachel's mouth... it was funny.. i mean really funny... Sara fell on the ground and curled up in a ball laughing and I let out one of my loud laughs with my head tossed back... my sister let out her normal high pitched squeal in her usual manner.. and we all had a moment of real funny... but then when quiet came again, we all knew that that was exactly the way it should have been.. and the way Granny and Grandpa would have wanted it. Nothing pleased them more than having their boisterous crazy grandkids all together making a lot of joyous noise.
yep, it was exactly the way it should have been and i will remember it always.