Getting back to normal.

This has been a bit of a crazy month. Not crazy so much as unexpected. I got a call from my mom on Wednesday the 4th saying that Noni, my grandmother, wasn't doing well. And that I should probably come to the hospital. She'd been in the hospital for a week or so but we all thought she'd pull through like she always did. She's one tough cookie. But it turned out that she got a "super bug" and her poor, 91 year-old body just couldn't fight it any longer.

I spent the next 4 days at the hospital with my mom and my aunts and my cousins and my brother and the rest of the family that trickled in and out to see Noni during her last days. On Friday she was given morphine. The doctors called it "comfort care". I didn't like the idea, but at that point it was all that could be done. Any other procedures would have been just too much for her body to handle. So..we all gathered around and told her how much we loved her...how wonderful she was...how we will always love her and never forget her. I was also able to give her one last chance to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior...she nodded in agreement...moments before the morphine took effect. Thank you God for the words and the time to hand her over to You.

Friday and Saturday were spent at the hospital comforting Noni...comforting each other...and telling stories. While it was a sad time, it was also fun and joyous. The love in that hospital room was tangible. There's nothing like family...nothing.

Calmly and peacefully, Noni went home to be with the Lord on Sunday the 8th.

The following week was filled with funeral preparations and helping my mom and aunts a bit here and there with what I could. Life was going on, after all, and we had baseball games and youth group and homework and laundry. Isn't it funny how even though your world comes to a screeching halt...and you lose a loved one...you look out the window and the world just continues to bustle by? So strange...life.

Now here we are a week later...services over, Noni in Heaven, life carrying on. I've been in a fog...finding it hard to pick myself up and move forward. But I'm coming around. And in the midst of the sadness there was good everywhere. It was a blessing to be able to spend so much time with my family...I'll never forget those precious days we all spent together. I'll cherish them...forever. And if any of you are reading...I love you.