Partner
It was hard to leave my Partner this morning. I drove in silence for several hours after we'd said I love you to each other and goodbye. I think I had imagined it might be harder -- don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy by any stretch -- but I'm glad I got to say goodbye now.
On vacation with the family in the mid-80's Grandma had joined us for much of the drive from Iowa to the east coast. We each needed a "partner" to cross the street in Philadelphia or some other large city and so Grandma and I ended up as regular partners: the nickname stuck and we've been "partners" ever since.
We've had a great relationship; I've learned much from her wisdom and perspective. I particularly remember sitting at her kitchen table while she'd make lunch (I remember egg salad distinctly for some reason) and she'd listen intently to whatever I was talking about. When she spoke, they were obviously words she had measured carefully and put a lot of thought into. In my family, most adults treated me this way, but because I didn't get to see her every day, I think I gave more weight to her words.
A planned angioplasty a month ago resulted in the doc determining she was too weak for the needed operation; she was admitted into hospice care. She might be with us for many more months, maybe more years, but in case not, I made space to go visit her. We spent a day driving around town, eating together, napping together, sharing pictures, stories and laughs. We got to tell some stories a few times because her memory isn't so great...
I went to visit her this morning before I drove to the airport to fly back to New York and Confirmation class. She was wide awake in bed, waiting for me. Great hug, great smile. We said we loved each other. She said she was sorry she couldn't see the girls, but understood they couldn't make the trip. It was hard leaving. My dad timed a phone call pretty good: on the road to the airport we talked and had a good chat. Thanks, Dad.
On vacation with the family in the mid-80's Grandma had joined us for much of the drive from Iowa to the east coast. We each needed a "partner" to cross the street in Philadelphia or some other large city and so Grandma and I ended up as regular partners: the nickname stuck and we've been "partners" ever since.
We've had a great relationship; I've learned much from her wisdom and perspective. I particularly remember sitting at her kitchen table while she'd make lunch (I remember egg salad distinctly for some reason) and she'd listen intently to whatever I was talking about. When she spoke, they were obviously words she had measured carefully and put a lot of thought into. In my family, most adults treated me this way, but because I didn't get to see her every day, I think I gave more weight to her words.
A planned angioplasty a month ago resulted in the doc determining she was too weak for the needed operation; she was admitted into hospice care. She might be with us for many more months, maybe more years, but in case not, I made space to go visit her. We spent a day driving around town, eating together, napping together, sharing pictures, stories and laughs. We got to tell some stories a few times because her memory isn't so great...
I went to visit her this morning before I drove to the airport to fly back to New York and Confirmation class. She was wide awake in bed, waiting for me. Great hug, great smile. We said we loved each other. She said she was sorry she couldn't see the girls, but understood they couldn't make the trip. It was hard leaving. My dad timed a phone call pretty good: on the road to the airport we talked and had a good chat. Thanks, Dad.
posted by Jake at 3:00 PM
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