Grandma Hare

Today is my Grandma Hare's birthday.  She is 87.  She has no idea it is her birthday.  I'm not sure she knows who she is.  Grandma was fiery, opinionated, active, and dynamic.  She entertained lavishly (my father says she threw great party), cooked wonderfully, and made things happen.  She has a somewhat racy past I always wanted to hear about in great detail.  She had a good, sincere, and generous heart.  She encouraged and supported those she loved, and I palpably felt her love and concern for me.  She never did things by halves, but threw herself into projects and continued to work to learn and improve herself late into her life.

Now Grandma sits quietly, is confused, and when she speaks, makes no sense at all.  I took the children up for a visit today and Grandma looked marginally scared when I went into her room to say hello.  She obviously had no idea who I was and was uncomfortable with the children.  I said hello and beat a hasty retreat so as not to upset her.

It makes me sad that the woman I know and loved is no longer with us.  Her body is there, but her mind is so altered.  I still love her, of course, and grieve for her loss, even as she is still physically here.  I'm sure it must be so frustrating for her to be awash in mental fog.

I am grateful to know that our familial relationships last through eternity, and that the vibrant woman I know and love will be restored to full health and mental faculty.  I am sorry my children won't know her in this life, but rejoice that they will know her in the future the way I knew her.  Happy birthday, Grandma.  I love you.