Recently my maternal grandmother had to move into a nursing home where they could provide her with the greater care that she needed. My Grandma has increasing dementia. She knows who we are and calls us by name, but her memory is failing her.
When my parents cleaned out her room at her retirement residence, they found a lot of photo albums from her travels. Among the albums were several books devoted to her grandchildren. Since my Mom is an only child, there were lots of family shots from throughout our childhood.
My parents have decorated her new room with photos of her family and paintings she had done a long time ago. These images help to trigger her memory. We bring her scrapbooks filled with pictures of familiar faces, for her to look at.
Grandma always came down on days I had off from school. We would go out for lunch and sometimes see a movie in the afternoon. She doesn’t remember most of this, but that is okay because I do. I remember going to a drugstore to buy our candy to eat at the show. I got fuzzy peach candy and was thrilled.
I remember staying over at my Grandma’s house and watching late night talk shows on her small television in her bedroom. She snored, but that didn’t bother me at all.
My Grandma travelled quite a bit with one of her friends. She was always home for Christmas, but shortly after that, she would be off to someplace warmer. She saw many parts of the world and made a lot of friends from all over the world.
When she came back from a trip, she always had gifts for us. She didn’t have to do so, but she wanted to do so. You could tell she enjoyed shopping for us. When I was smaller, there would usually be a doll from Portugal. She went back to Portugal many times. I loved the purses she would buy for my Mom & I.
My Grandma does not remember things that happened a long time ago any more. She held on to her older memories long than her recent memories. Oddly enough her sense of humour remains intact. She laughs at the appropriate time and she understands subtle humour.
I am happy to have had so many special times with my Grandma and will continue to share time together. She will be ninety at the end of February.
LOVE...
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
What now?
I have been classified as a student since I was four years old and in kindergarten. I made myself at home, snuggled under the title of student. When you take the time to stop and think about your years as a student, a lot happened over your years as a student.
When I was about seven, I began to lose my baby teeth. I grew adult teeth in their place. When I entered the fifth grade, I went from a primary student to a junior student. Around that time, I got braces on my top and bottom. I went on to become a teenager and a high school student. And those are just a few of the many things every kid goes through.
I was already a daughter and a sister when I started elementary school. I was a cousin, a niece and a granddaughter. The moment I stepped into the classroom, I was a student. I made friends among my classmates and around my neighbourhood. In high school, I became a student employee. After my first year of university, I became a sister-in-law. I am the Auntie of one about to be two and am about to gain another sister-in-law.
After my first year of university, I thought that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I would finally be done school. I could not weight to be done and experience a life free of essays and pesky due dates. Life intervened and my degree took far longer than expected. I made it to the end of the tunnel.
I finished school, went to convocation and now what? The dreaded question of now what? My years as a student are now behind me. My friends and family were all so proud of me. Still, there was this question in my mind of what I would do with myself now that I am finished with school. Finishing school was always the ultimate goal. Sure, I had a few things I wanted to do, but nothing was really set in stone.
For the first little while I slept in, and caught up on books I had started long, ago, but never finished. Just last week, I read a magazine cover to cover. I rarely had time to do that when I had course on the go. I am slowly reading ‘The Book of Awesome’. I love the title and the pages inside are even better.
As I ponder what to do next in my life, I wonder if there is a definitive right answer. When I was in high school, I had my life planned out. I always liked having a plan. My life has changed and so have my plans. I have tried to alter my plans for the future as I go, but in the back of my mind, I still thought that, there was a remote possibility that, I would take the child life course and become a child life specialist.
I need to put myself out there and take a risk. I need to apply to volunteer at a nearby children’s hospital. I have to move past my fear of rejection and trust that there is a place for me to volunteer. I know that hospital, like the back of my hand. I also know that there are people there who will look out for me, not because they have to, but because they want me to succeed.
It is an odd feeling to have the title of student taken away, when you have held onto it for so long.
I know what I need to do; now I just have to follow through with my plan.
When I was about seven, I began to lose my baby teeth. I grew adult teeth in their place. When I entered the fifth grade, I went from a primary student to a junior student. Around that time, I got braces on my top and bottom. I went on to become a teenager and a high school student. And those are just a few of the many things every kid goes through.
I was already a daughter and a sister when I started elementary school. I was a cousin, a niece and a granddaughter. The moment I stepped into the classroom, I was a student. I made friends among my classmates and around my neighbourhood. In high school, I became a student employee. After my first year of university, I became a sister-in-law. I am the Auntie of one about to be two and am about to gain another sister-in-law.
After my first year of university, I thought that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I would finally be done school. I could not weight to be done and experience a life free of essays and pesky due dates. Life intervened and my degree took far longer than expected. I made it to the end of the tunnel.
I finished school, went to convocation and now what? The dreaded question of now what? My years as a student are now behind me. My friends and family were all so proud of me. Still, there was this question in my mind of what I would do with myself now that I am finished with school. Finishing school was always the ultimate goal. Sure, I had a few things I wanted to do, but nothing was really set in stone.
For the first little while I slept in, and caught up on books I had started long, ago, but never finished. Just last week, I read a magazine cover to cover. I rarely had time to do that when I had course on the go. I am slowly reading ‘The Book of Awesome’. I love the title and the pages inside are even better.
As I ponder what to do next in my life, I wonder if there is a definitive right answer. When I was in high school, I had my life planned out. I always liked having a plan. My life has changed and so have my plans. I have tried to alter my plans for the future as I go, but in the back of my mind, I still thought that, there was a remote possibility that, I would take the child life course and become a child life specialist.
I need to put myself out there and take a risk. I need to apply to volunteer at a nearby children’s hospital. I have to move past my fear of rejection and trust that there is a place for me to volunteer. I know that hospital, like the back of my hand. I also know that there are people there who will look out for me, not because they have to, but because they want me to succeed.
It is an odd feeling to have the title of student taken away, when you have held onto it for so long.
I know what I need to do; now I just have to follow through with my plan.
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011!
It’s that time of year again. Christmas decor gets neatly packed away in basements around the world.
The other day, my Mom reminded me that as she & my Dad pack up our Christmas decor each they pause to wonder what our lives will be like when we bring out the year, Christmas boxes next year.
Where will our family celebrate? Will we all be living in our current homes?
Last year we wondered what life would be like for Sophie when Christmas rolled around.
Will we all be able to be together on Christmas Day?
This year we are wondering what it will be like during the holidays with a small baby and a full blown toddler? I cannot answer this question with a complete knowledge of what will happen. All I can say is it will be fun to be an Auntie of two beautiful little girls. I am so happy for Stu & Michelle.
As the Christmas tree comes down and all of the ornaments get packed into boxes, ready for storage, I can’t help, but think of all of the memories made around the Christmas tree every year. Every ornament tells a story. As we pack away our memories for another year, we take time to reminisce.
This year, Sophie got a Fisher Price kitchen set that will grows as she does. Seeing her play with her kitchen, reminded me my own experience with a kitchen set.
When I was about five or six, I asked Santa for a Fisher Price kitchen set. I think every girl my age asked for one. Low & behold on Christmas morning, there was a large present for me under the tree. I tore off the paper to reveal the picture of what the kitchen set looked like when it was assembled.
My Dad & my brothers worked all morning to assemble the kitchen set. When it was done, it was everything I thought it would be.
I eagerly await the arrival of the newest member of our family. By the time Christmas roles around next year, the baby will be almost six months old. I cannot wait to see the holidays through the eyes of a baby & a toddler.
It will be so nice for Sophie to have a girl cousin so close in age. My cousin Kira is a couple years younger than me & it was so nice to have someone to play with at family functions. Now that we are older, age does not matter.
The future is what dreams are made of!
It’s that time of year again. Christmas decor gets neatly packed away in basements around the world.
The other day, my Mom reminded me that as she & my Dad pack up our Christmas decor each they pause to wonder what our lives will be like when we bring out the year, Christmas boxes next year.
Where will our family celebrate? Will we all be living in our current homes?
Last year we wondered what life would be like for Sophie when Christmas rolled around.
Will we all be able to be together on Christmas Day?
This year we are wondering what it will be like during the holidays with a small baby and a full blown toddler? I cannot answer this question with a complete knowledge of what will happen. All I can say is it will be fun to be an Auntie of two beautiful little girls. I am so happy for Stu & Michelle.
As the Christmas tree comes down and all of the ornaments get packed into boxes, ready for storage, I can’t help, but think of all of the memories made around the Christmas tree every year. Every ornament tells a story. As we pack away our memories for another year, we take time to reminisce.
This year, Sophie got a Fisher Price kitchen set that will grows as she does. Seeing her play with her kitchen, reminded me my own experience with a kitchen set.
When I was about five or six, I asked Santa for a Fisher Price kitchen set. I think every girl my age asked for one. Low & behold on Christmas morning, there was a large present for me under the tree. I tore off the paper to reveal the picture of what the kitchen set looked like when it was assembled.
My Dad & my brothers worked all morning to assemble the kitchen set. When it was done, it was everything I thought it would be.
I eagerly await the arrival of the newest member of our family. By the time Christmas roles around next year, the baby will be almost six months old. I cannot wait to see the holidays through the eyes of a baby & a toddler.
It will be so nice for Sophie to have a girl cousin so close in age. My cousin Kira is a couple years younger than me & it was so nice to have someone to play with at family functions. Now that we are older, age does not matter.
The future is what dreams are made of!
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