87 years

That's how long my grandma has graced this Earth with her presence. Today she celebrates 87 years of life. She is such a strong woman. She has given birth to 13 children. One of those children, a son named Rex, drown when he was a young boy. She survived the loss of a child. She has buried her husband. Yet, she still goes on. She loves flowerbeds, gardening and bird watching. She has hands as soft and gentle as velvet. Hair nearly as white as fresh fallen snow. A soft voice to soothe the worst of fears. She has shoveled snow, hauled wood, kept up a big yard, a home. Up until a few years ago, she did a lot of this herself. She has always amazed me. And I don't doubt, that grandma at 70 could have worked circles around me at 25. Not a doubt in my mind. The woman is strong and determined. So much so, that on Saturday, as she was feeling sick and had swollen ankles and feet (a bad sign for patients with congestive heart failure), she sat there, so sure she was dying. And to show how selfless she is, she prayed to God. She prayed that he would not take her yet, because her daughter (my aunt bev who lives with her to help care for her, the home, etc) can't keep the place up by herself, financially. She prayed, "You can't take me right now. Bev can't run this place on her own right now." Sitting there, thinking death may be near, she was most concerned with leaving my aunt in financial distress. Amazingly (or really, not so amazingly, because God is great), she began to feel better within an hour. When mom told me about this, I teared up. I am not ready for her go. I don't guess we are ever ready. But, I am still suffering the emotional pain of losing Jeremy's grandma. I don't want to go through losing my grandma right now. Of course, as I get older and wiser and she continues to age, I realize that she isn't invincible as I once thought. But, even at 87, she still gets around, she gets out of the house, she still tinkers in the yard with flowers and such, just not to the extent that she once did. She takes it easy more now. But, she certainly has earned that right. So, today, my wish for Grandma is that she have a wonderfully happy birthday, full of bright sunshine and lots of love. And may she have many more to come! I love you, Grandma!