I have had the good luck in my life to be able to know both sets of my grandparents. I take it for granted that everyone gets this luxury. I've recently realized how old I am getting, and it set things into perspective of how old that makes everyone around me, my parents and grandparents in particular.
What will I do when they aren't there?
Who will I talk (yell) at on the phone because she can't hear me when I call to say 'Hi'...."NO I'M FINE GRANDMA.....YES, MONDO IS OK TOO..... YES I'M EATING PLENTY..." While the whole store turns to stare at me yell into my phone.
Who else would I be willing to watch Fox news with when I go over to their house? Who is the only person I respect too much to mention that Sean Hannity is an ass-hat and 99.9% of the shiz that comes out of his mouth is lies?? My grandpa, that's who. I would rather watch Bonanza than that crap and thank my lucky stars when they are watching the western channel when I swing by.
For some reason the Sandovals never smile in photos... it's going to hard to explain how happy they always were when all of the pictures I have of them look like mug shots.
The Archuletas are just as quirky and full of life.
I will never forget when my grandpa called my future brother-in-law Casey by the name Guy for about the first five years they dated. This was just one step up from his previous name: Jive Turkey.
My grandma is so funny with her little sound effects that she makes and the fact that she will sit through an entire conversation with you, nodding her head in the appropriate places and agreeing with you... and when you ask very loudly if she has her hearing aid in... she smiles and says "No".
Still dancing the night away
My cute little mom and grandma
I've been living my life and forgetting that as I'm getting older, they are too. Health problems and other signs of age are creeping their ugly heads up and it's making me panic because I realize: they won't be here forever.
My grandma has had a pretty severe stroke this last year and it has left her weak and sped up the memory problems that she was already struggling with. She's recently been signed up with hospice services and it breaks my heart. I know in my head that she could be on hospice for a long time and it doesn't necessarily mean that she will be going soon, but I can't help but feel that fear clutch at my throat that she may not be with us for long. She may never get to meet my kids and I don't know how I can deal with that.
She had her stroke the week before I was getting married and the week I was supposed to start school. I remember going to her house to check on her because she had been falling and was having a hard time remembering things. As soon as I saw her I knew, something was wrong. I took her in my car to the ER and I just remember her holding my hand the whole time up to the hospital and she just started crying. My grandma has always been so strong when it has come to her own health problems, never wanting anyone to worry about her, she has always been the caregiver.
I know it isn't possible to keep my grandparents around forever, but I'm selfish and I want it anyway.
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