A Tale of the Lost Grandmom

We have always heard of how unfortunate it would be for elders to live alone- far from their children and their grandchildren. But have we ever tried to see things through the eyes of the grandchildren who miss their grandmothers and grandfathers?

Here is a short story from a young adult, a narration written through a grandchild’s point of view, a simple story which could persuade you to get help from One Care Companion…

Shall I begin with the period when I was born or with the oldest personal memory I have with my grandmother?

Birth

I know, you do not expect me to remember what actually transpired during my birthday decades ago. But as my parents and older sisters have told me, Granny visited me and my mom while we were still at the hospital after my mom gave birth to me.

Granny did not like my mother for my Dad, who is her son. So when my two older sisters were born, she was never there. It was only a year before my birth when she started reconciling with my Dad, so she was there in the hospital to carry me and sing me lullabies.

Toddler

As I grew older, Granny stayed to be close to our family. She would often visit our house bringing harvests from her home in the countryside, and she will also gift us with matching dresses every Christmas.

Since Granny knows that all of us, her grandchildren, would also visit her at a typical countryside antique house during summer, she would already prepare the house for everyone. All her books would be set aside at her stockroom and the bedrooms would be ready for us.

Granny would serve baked goodies and fresh fruits during snacks and meals- who would not love sweets, right?

Teenage

But her visits at home started to get scarce during my teenage years. And school became more demanding- there were summer camps, tutorials and part time jobs. I was used to having her at the house every weekend, but I failed to recognize that her presence at home became stagnant.

When I were younger, she would visit at least four times a month, then it became three, two…until she stopped.

Summer reunions at her house in the countryside house also ceased. My older cousins started working- some gone abroad and others focused on their families and careers. But I failed to acknowledge that.

I was too busy with school and other stuffs.

Twenty

Then I reached the age of twenty. Simple things started to get complicated. I started to struggle through life. I experienced a lot of issues, and people just say, “It’s okay. Welcome to adulthood.”

So I started to feel my Granny’s absence. I missed the times when she will help us finish our assignments during Sundays and when she assured us that we’ll be safe after falling on the ground while playing. I missed her lullabies which she used to do when we were at her old house.

I missed her. So when my father went to see her one day, I went there with him. Upon arriving at the old house, I felt its difference. The lively ambiance was gone. Although the house was still surrounded by plants, they weren’t well-maintained anymore.

I was even more surprised when we entered the house. Granny was there, sitting beside the window and looking somewhere far. She didn’t even notice us. She looked to old and tired.

When she saw us, I saw her smile widely. I hugged her too tight, and I felt her sadness. I don’t know where her loneliness came from but I have felt it.

The Last

From that time, when I learned that she was suffering from a lot of medical conditions already, I always made it a point to see her every month. One day while I was at school, our eldest sister called me saying Granny was at the hospital.

I left school immediately and when I opened the door to her room, I saw her apologizing to my father. She was weak and barely breathing. When she saw us, she smiled and said, “Thank you and I’m sorry.”

She died that same day, but until today I don’t know what she was apologizing for.

For me, it should have been us apologizing to her. If only, we let her stay with us and hired home care services in Naples South Florida instead of living her alone, she might have not suffered that much.