Five Things My Grandma Doesn’t Want as her Health Begins to Decline
My observations of my grandma over these last few years
My grandma took care of me as a baby. I have always had my differences with her as I grew into adulthood, but she was, next to my mom, one of the first few people to show me what love looks like.
These last 5 years haven’t been easy for her. She earns her personal identity by taking care of those around her, whether that is her own kids or her grandkids. As she grows older, and her leukemia begins to age her quicker, she is losing sense of who she once was.
There was a day where I sat on her bed with her. She was unable to speak that day, but her eyes told me she was cognizant of what was happening to her. She could tell me everything through that look. I don’t think I’ve ever broken down and cried in front of her — that day was a first.
Here is what I have learned, watching a woman I love and cherish slowly disappear.
More years.
My grandma’s identity is tied to her ability to make food for the family and provide shelter. She was born to a family that escaped genocide. She can hardly walk now and do the things she has done her whole life. She looks defeated these days and often tells me she’s ready to…
