The end of an era

After we returned from NYC, we stopped to see my grandfather. All the kids were in the pool, my father pretended to watch them carefully and Pop Pop was sleeping when my mom and I decided to run errands. We stopped first to pick up my grandmother's ashes. We didn't know what to do with them in the car. I felt she should ride up front, so I held them on my lap. I thought we should have done something holy, but we drove to FoodTown and picked up 4 bake at home pizzas, and headed back to feed the kids. As we passed the nursing home Aunt Charlotte was in, I asked if we could stop in for a quick visit.

My mom agreed it would be good since she was planning to go tomorrow morning. When we got in Aunt Charlotte's room, it was clear she wasn't going to live much longer. We held her hand and watched her slip peacefully away. Once we were sure she was gone, we called a nurse to pronounce her. I am so grateful she wasn't alone at the end. I am also happy to know she isn't suffering anymore. It still plain sucks.

Growing up, my sister, cousin and I used to play together a lot. Aunt Charlotte was my cousin's grandmother and my grandmother's older sister. Aunt Charlotte would let us get away with almost anything. She had a ready smile and a nice laugh. She lived for her husband, and outlived him by 10 years. She suffered from Parkinsons and it was hard to watch her lose her strength.

There is so much more that I could say, but I am tired and should probably get some sleep before I attempt to go to work tomorrow.