Sad news, but not unexpected.
Well, my Grandma Olive died last Friday. The 10th of March.
She was still at home, and mum was having the day home from work that day. In fact she and Kerry had just gotten up that morning, and given Grandma a bath. They noticed that her breathing was quite laboured, and she was lying there keeping her eyes open.
Kerry put her hand on her shoulder, and said to her "Mummy, it's alright. You have been a wonderful mother, really generous. If I had to think of a word for you, it would be generous. You have always done so much for all of us. But it's alright mummy- we'll be O.K. You don't have to stay here and look after us. We'll be alright. You can go if you need to."
Mum came around the other side of the bed while Kerry said this, and put her hand on Olive's shoulder, and at that moment- with both Kerry and Libby holding her, she let out a big sigh and stopped breathing.
That was at around 8:35 in the morning. After they were were she had gone, they turned her onto her back, and as they were putting her hands down at her sides, noticed that she didn't have her wedding ring on. It was lying on her stomach, where it had fallen off her finger.
When mum and Kerry told me that, about an hour later when I came around, I was amazed, but then thought: "Oh, well- Grandpa Wade was in the room, then."
So that is how she went.
She hadn't been out of the bed for around three weeks, and couldn't really do much more than answer 'yes' and 'no', and not often that for the past week or so. She hadn't really woken up for about two days, either, until that morning.
She did it in fine style- as well as you could have asked a lady to die, we reckon. Just like Olive.
We will all be going along to the funeral in two days- on Friday. Several people are coming down from Townsville, and the St. Michaels church up at Vaucluse will be quite full, I imagine.
Don't be too sad for Olive or us, she was impressive and good natured to the end.
She was still at home, and mum was having the day home from work that day. In fact she and Kerry had just gotten up that morning, and given Grandma a bath. They noticed that her breathing was quite laboured, and she was lying there keeping her eyes open.
Kerry put her hand on her shoulder, and said to her "Mummy, it's alright. You have been a wonderful mother, really generous. If I had to think of a word for you, it would be generous. You have always done so much for all of us. But it's alright mummy- we'll be O.K. You don't have to stay here and look after us. We'll be alright. You can go if you need to."
Mum came around the other side of the bed while Kerry said this, and put her hand on Olive's shoulder, and at that moment- with both Kerry and Libby holding her, she let out a big sigh and stopped breathing.
That was at around 8:35 in the morning. After they were were she had gone, they turned her onto her back, and as they were putting her hands down at her sides, noticed that she didn't have her wedding ring on. It was lying on her stomach, where it had fallen off her finger.
When mum and Kerry told me that, about an hour later when I came around, I was amazed, but then thought: "Oh, well- Grandpa Wade was in the room, then."
So that is how she went.
She hadn't been out of the bed for around three weeks, and couldn't really do much more than answer 'yes' and 'no', and not often that for the past week or so. She hadn't really woken up for about two days, either, until that morning.
She did it in fine style- as well as you could have asked a lady to die, we reckon. Just like Olive.
We will all be going along to the funeral in two days- on Friday. Several people are coming down from Townsville, and the St. Michaels church up at Vaucluse will be quite full, I imagine.
Don't be too sad for Olive or us, she was impressive and good natured to the end.