Journal #8851
Posted 6 years ago2017-08-09 21:34:29 UTC
grandparents--;
My grandmother passed away on Monday at 78, after a long struggle against a very spread cancer. She was very strong and lived through many surgeries most people wouldn't at that age. After such a struggle we weren't shocked or surprised but we are saddened by the loss and will still miss her.
She was very intelligent and loved to learn, although her academic life was cut short after primary school by her mum (my great-grandmother) who insisted she drop useless things like education and become a full time housewife. Other strengths of her were her great pasta and her very acute sense of hearing. Word is that she was able to hear ants eating her plants away. Must have been a quiet neighbourhood.
I don't know what kind of music she was into because she listened to pretty much everything, but I always remember her telling us about one of her earliest dates with my grandfather when they went to the city to see a Bill Haley gig. So have a bit of that in her memory.
Mildly related: It's curious how it's at funerals you end up meeting relatives you never knew existed.
My grandmother passed away on Monday at 78, after a long struggle against a very spread cancer. She was very strong and lived through many surgeries most people wouldn't at that age. After such a struggle we weren't shocked or surprised but we are saddened by the loss and will still miss her.
She was very intelligent and loved to learn, although her academic life was cut short after primary school by her mum (my great-grandmother) who insisted she drop useless things like education and become a full time housewife. Other strengths of her were her great pasta and her very acute sense of hearing. Word is that she was able to hear ants eating her plants away. Must have been a quiet neighbourhood.
I don't know what kind of music she was into because she listened to pretty much everything, but I always remember her telling us about one of her earliest dates with my grandfather when they went to the city to see a Bill Haley gig. So have a bit of that in her memory.
Mildly related: It's curious how it's at funerals you end up meeting relatives you never knew existed.
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Also worrying for me because it's genetic, I'm likely to get it as well, and probably my father, and my children (when I have them).
It was a real shame too because I never was able to know much about him. He was very quiet, reserved man.
I don't know anything about my family, so it's always a treat to see new relatives I never knew I had. Sucks it had to be at a funeral though.
My mat. grandmother died before I was born due to good ol' lung cancer from smoking, so no memories there. (Though ironically probably the most indirect effect on me, since that certainly helped colour the household against smoking.) My pat. grandfather died early enough that I only have the vaguest memories of him. My pat. grandmother was probably the most relevant death in the family to me, but again, bloody ages ago, so few memories. Only grandparent still around is my mat. grandfather, who was borderline (if not actually) abusive to my mother, so I can't say I've had any real desire to stay in touch.
Point being, I've never had anyone I've been particularly close to die (and very few that I wasn't), so I'll be brutally unprepared for it when it happens to someone I actually care about. Looking forward to that!
As for other relatives, I can't say I keep much in touch with anyone who isn't in the immediate family (I.E. parents and siblings). I don't know any of them that well, and blood doesn't strike me as a particularly good reason to do so.
I remember when my grandfather died in 2010. I cried the day I found out. He left me a couple of things to remember him with: his belt and his binoculars. But I could remember a lot of stuff even without the legacy items.
And last year, my great-grandmother died. I haven't visited her many times, unfortunately, so I didn't get to know her that well.
It was very disappointing to me, and sad. She was my only great-grandmother, and I had lost her. It didn't make that much of an impact on my life as my grandfather's death did, but it doesn't mean that it didn't leave an impact at all.
Regarding relatives, I met a lot of relatives I knew before but forgot as time went on at my great-grandmother's funeral. No new relatives, oddly. Just the ones I forgot.
My paternal grandmother had a stroke a couple years ago, non-fatal, but it really shook me up. Every time I go visit her these days I can't help but think it might be for the last time.
Diseases suck.
My grandfather died when I was only 2, he had a heart attack and I only know him from stories about him. He didn't really cared about his health from what I know. This, and the fact that most of my family live really long is a huge motivating factor to keep a healthy lifestyle.
About that mildly relatd thingy: Strangely, it is true. Even more so than weddings. Lost my aunt last year, I travelled across whole country to attend to funeral and met a lot of relatives I never even heard about.
Almost all the elders in my family had really long, healthy lives (~ 90-100), except for my great grandfathers that both died serving in WW2. Up until a couple of years ago after my grandmother had a hearth stroke, (she's recovered since then) everything had been going pretty smooth. I get to visit about once every couple of weeks but, like Jeff, i can't help but feel concerned whenever i think of her.
All the best to you and your family. brohug
I'm still getting over the loss of my good friend who passed away on July 30th. It's still hard.
hug
Condolences...