Great Grandma Nola

When’s the last time you spent four hours visiting with someone over the age of ninety? I know most of us don’t have many relatives or close ones that live to actually be that old, but there are some of us that are lucky. I happen to be one of those lucky ones. I’m the type of person who loves to be around older people. I love to hear what they have to say about their lives. Whether it be about when they were young and reckless, or gray and old, or even just the wise advice they have for everyone. I don’t know why but I really do find it interesting and entertaining to visit with the elderly. (So, if you ever need anybody to go visit some older ones, I would maybe go with you.)

This past weekend my family went up to visit my great grandmother. She is living in an assisted living home and is taken care of very well by her family, and the staff there. She has been in and out of the hospital escaping death many times, but has always seemed to make it through in the long run. She is doing a lot better now. She is on oxygen and medication, but not nearly as heavily as she was before. She is 92, and will be turning 93 during the summer.

Although she claims her life was “full of enjoyment and learning experiences,” she would prefer it if her life came to an end soon. Her relatives and close friends would love to have her stay around longer, but she feels the opposite way about life. “I hate being old,” she said, “It makes you feel… well, just old.” She told us this while visiting her almost every time we had to walk her somewhere. Whenever she takes a step her knees give her pain, causing her to take her time to get where she needed to go. She also is almost blind. She has special glasses that help a little, but for the most part she can only see figures and lot of purple dots. These add to her list of reasons to give up on life. She told us, “I’m knocking on heaven’s door, but no one’s answering.”

Well, I do have to say, thinking of her not being alive anymore really does make me sad. She is the most fun person to be around. She’s always making everyone smile with her funny jokes and stories. Even if they aren’t too funny themselves, the way she tells them, and the way she laughs and smiles will definitely crack a smile on anyone’s face. But out of all the stories and memories she tells, her dreams are the most interesting to listen to. Like one she told us about was while she was lying in a hospital bed. She had woken up to a purple room (that may of just been because of her eyes, but who knows?) that was filled will peaceful animals. She told us they were everywhere, all around her bed, just silently watching her. She called for her son to come in, but no one came. It was just her and the animals. But it was peaceful, she wasn’t frightened or scared, she was just amazed at what she was seeing. She said she saw a bright light, but then was woken up by her doctor for real. She told us she honestly thought she was dead, and then brought back to life again. Crazy story huh? That was just one of the many stories she’s told us about being “practically dead” as she calls it.

Although none of us would like to have her gone, I almost think that putting her out of her misery here on earth would be better for her. Not saying I’m going to kill her or anything. Just saying that if she were to die soon, I wouldn’t be able to get too upset over it because I know that she will be loving where she’s going a lot more. When she does go though, no one will ever forget the loving, thoughtful, and wonderful person she was while she was here. It’ll be hard to forget such an amazing lady like her.