Last night, I relieved my parents from their visiting shift and as we always do, grandma and I thought of ways we could get ourselves in trouble. She, of course, had the grand idea of calling her favorite boyfriend on my cellphone. So here we are in ICU, with this little 88 year old woman speaking in Spanish to her main squeeze, TWO days after she went flying through the windshield of her car in a horrific accident!
As I sat there in awe just staring at this woman, this pillar of strength, I became overwhelmed with such a deep love, respect and adoration for this woman I'm blessed to call "Grandma". Over the years we have fought and bumped heads so many times I thought "Why won't this woman slow down and just be a little old grandma?"
I began to think of our daily routing in the house (we all live together) and how frustrating it is for me to hear her up and making her own breakfast when my own fibromyalgia striken body can't even get out of bed. By the time I have a good long pep talk with my muscles and have rolled out of bed, this turkey (grandma) is sitting fully dressed and is applying her makeup at vanity, Vicente Fernandez serenades her while she laughs away with her friends who shes chatting with on speaker phone. "Ugh, why won't she slow down?" I think as I just shake my head and walk away.
I along with many of you, am intrigued by the drama filled crime shows like Criminal Minds, Law & Order and The First 48. It's always so heartbreaking when you see the cops knock on the door to deliver life changing news. We say to each other "ohhh that's so heartbreaking" or "Can you imagine?" yet we never quite let our thoughts wander much past those words. We simply keep on watching, and NOT truly imagining.
I believe we as a family knew grandma, at 88 probably should not be driving anymore but there was simply no way any of us could tell her what to do. She would never allow a soul in the world to "control her" or try to direct any part of her life. She is fiercely independent and proud, The DMV continued to renew her license and she had passed her driving test just fine. There was nothing we could do to stop her.
This past Monday morning, I had just sat down at my desk to start blogging when I heard the dogs alert, "Someone's here! Someone's here!" It's usually just someone walking by or maybe some advertisements being slid under the door, but THIS time, that instinct that tells us something is different this time, kicked in and I unraveled my tucked legs to walk over and see what the big "To Do" was all about. As I slowly approached the door, there she was, a city deputy, looking back at me through the front screen door. When I met her eyes, she put her head down and that's when the gut punch came in. Still, I quickly tried to recall any illegal activities I may have engaged in. Nope, I was clear, so I confidently approached knowing she had nothing on me!
"Ma'am, can you step outside so I can speak to you please?" I step out.
"Ma'am, do you know a Lillian Haloski?"
"Yes I do, she's my grandmother"
"Are you aware she's been in a very bad car accident?"
After that, all I remember was yelling for Andi and a few words as she stood in front of me speaking a foreign language.
Crash
Car Smashed
Through Windshield
Scalped
Hurt Badly
Emergency Room
88 years old
It kind of hits you like the Law and Order "Bum Bum" sound.
This story becomes an entire blog of its own after that and not one I choose to share today but I will, however, share what I have learned from this eye-opening experience.
As cliché as this may sound, I have often wondered what the meaning of life is. I suppose no one really has the full answer but God. I think we all kind of adopt our own ideas and spiritual meaning behind the question but is there a 100% textbook answer? Only the man above knows.
So I come back to the beginning of this story where I sat in her hospital ICU room last night watching her chat on the phone and realized that after this horrific accident she had just been in and despite her broken body, MY grandma's spirit was untarnished and fully intact! Here she sat with the same (attempted) smile chatting away as she does every morning at her vanity while she glamorizes herself.
SHE is the meaning of LIFE. At 88, she continues to live and breathe and do what she does on a daily basis. She smiles and jokes and laughs and even flirts with a few select doctors (good taste too if I may say so myself). What more could the meaning of life be, but to live it! No matter what is dished out to us, isn't it our job to make the best of it? To show God that we treasure this life and gift He has given us NO MATTER WHAT? Whether you believe in God or even a higher power, someone, aside from our parents gave us this life right? How do we ever repay them and show our appreciation for being alive? We LIVE IT! We smile, we laugh, we choose to be happy, kind, funny, loving, compassionate, giving and appreciative and contributing people of society, We raise our children with love and teach them to respect others,
Most of all, I believe the meaning to be really very simple.
All we really need to do aside from being good people as I mentioned above, is to wake up each morning and decide to make it a good day because we ARE ALIVE. Take a shower, choose to dress neat and clean. Gals, Put on your make-up and do a little something extra to your hair, just because.
Walk out of your home feeling like a million bucks even if you're just going to the Post office (joke between grandma and I).
Today I am Thankful for my grandma and for the gift she's given me of seeing what life should be.
Live Simple family and friends and Simply Live <3
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Love Sandy
This story becomes an entire blog of its own after that and not one I choose to share today but I will, however, share what I have learned from this eye-opening experience.
As cliché as this may sound, I have often wondered what the meaning of life is. I suppose no one really has the full answer but God. I think we all kind of adopt our own ideas and spiritual meaning behind the question but is there a 100% textbook answer? Only the man above knows.
So I come back to the beginning of this story where I sat in her hospital ICU room last night watching her chat on the phone and realized that after this horrific accident she had just been in and despite her broken body, MY grandma's spirit was untarnished and fully intact! Here she sat with the same (attempted) smile chatting away as she does every morning at her vanity while she glamorizes herself.
SHE is the meaning of LIFE. At 88, she continues to live and breathe and do what she does on a daily basis. She smiles and jokes and laughs and even flirts with a few select doctors (good taste too if I may say so myself). What more could the meaning of life be, but to live it! No matter what is dished out to us, isn't it our job to make the best of it? To show God that we treasure this life and gift He has given us NO MATTER WHAT? Whether you believe in God or even a higher power, someone, aside from our parents gave us this life right? How do we ever repay them and show our appreciation for being alive? We LIVE IT! We smile, we laugh, we choose to be happy, kind, funny, loving, compassionate, giving and appreciative and contributing people of society, We raise our children with love and teach them to respect others,
Most of all, I believe the meaning to be really very simple.
All we really need to do aside from being good people as I mentioned above, is to wake up each morning and decide to make it a good day because we ARE ALIVE. Take a shower, choose to dress neat and clean. Gals, Put on your make-up and do a little something extra to your hair, just because.
Walk out of your home feeling like a million bucks even if you're just going to the Post office (joke between grandma and I).
Today I am Thankful for my grandma and for the gift she's given me of seeing what life should be.
Live Simple family and friends and Simply Live <3
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Love Sandy
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