Endings

My last grandparent, my paternal grandmother, died this morning around 10:20. She had been undergoing a rapid deterioration in the past few months - mild dementia, increased weakness, that sort of thing, and in the last couple of weeks, things really went downhill.

I saw her for a few hours yesterday. She was sedated into unconsciousness, to control the pain from the bisecting aortic aneurysm. According to my chief advisor in things medical, hearing is the last sense to go, and Mamaw likely had enough consciousness to recognize our voices. So, when I had a moment of privacy with her, I told her I loved her, that we all did, and while we'll miss her terribly, it was okay for her to go, to let go, to move on.

And now she has.

Adele Davis was a guiding hand in my life. Much of whatever kindness and gentleness is in me is due to her.

Services will be held by McKinney-Brown Funeral Home in Liberty, Kentucky. I expect they'll be Thursday, but may be as early as tomorrow afternoon. I'll be in and out of contact for a little while; messages will get through and responded to. Best e-mail is hirumaandy at Yahoo; if you want a phone number, contact me there.

I'll be back in a few days.