Over the break, I visited my grandmother who has Alzheimers. I haven't seen her in a long time so it was weird seeing her after a couple years. When i walked into the house she was laying on the bed not doing much. She was watching television, pretty much relaxing. My dad had told me previously that she had been in and out the hospital. When i saw, i felt like she kind of looked the same when i saw her about 8 years ago just a little lifeless. She had been sick for a long time, i think she just adjusted to the situation. Also being that she is old. When i walked into the room she didn't remeber what my name was and who i was. I guess it being so many years or because she had the disease.
She wasn't really talking to me. I had to speak in spanish but that wasn't really helping neither. I was making small talk here and there. I was looking at her body and she was very skinny and looked very frail. She seemed to just deal with the fact that she is sick because she can't do anything about it. She still the happy grandma that she was when i was child and i'm glad she is still there. She smiled a few times when i was talking like she was happy. Looking back on the book, to seeing my grandma i will always love her, i don't understand in the story she didn't feel the same. Just cause you don't see somebody for a long period time doesn't mean you should forget about them. I think she wanted to let go what she had left on the islands but to me honestly i can't let go my own family.
Looking back i feel bad that i don't visit her as much as should because one day something can happen to her and i can't tell her what i wanted. I made sure that i got everything out before i left her. I took back to what Beth had said that "time is important". No matter what is going on, you should make sure you have time for those love ones especially the sick and dying ones like she did with her husband. I thought that was important aspect.
When it come to people that are close to you in your life, family or friends, you should always take full advantage of that relationship and build on it because you never know when you might loose someone. In terms of taking advantage i don't mean taking for granted. Whether someone is in your life for a long period of time or a short one, the time period is not what counts, its the type of relationship that come out of it.
ReplyDeleteLeah,
ReplyDeleteThe line i enjoyed reading was, " She still the happy grandma that she was when i was child and i'm glad she is still there." Because it shows something we all do we remember the person in their prime not when their frail and lying on the couch, we'd rather remember when the person was healthy. Also found myself nodding my head to this, " No matter what is going on, you should make sure you have time for those love ones especially the sick and dying ones like she did with her husband." Something many people can resonate with because we don't make this priority instead our school or job, technology distract us and not every stop to smell the roses. To just stop for a minute and just spend time and will be better way to spend your time to its full.
For Leah,
ReplyDeleteI liked the line "Looking back i feel bad that i don't visit her as much as should because one day something can happen to her and i can't tell her what i wanted." because it showed me that you didn't want to have any regrets about the relationship you have with your grandmother. That you didn't want to disconnect yourself from her as she's with Alzheimer's. That you want to cherish every moment you have left with her which is important to you because life is not guaranteed to anyone.