In memory of Marjorie Colbeck Jacobsen Kommeth, 1925-2009
My grandmother passed away at 1:15, Tuesday morning. Her obituary can be seen here: http://harrisfuneralhome.com/?p=obituary_view&id=10002659
I found myself writing this email to Cindy Furlow earlier this evening. I think it sums up how I've been faring these last few days, so I want to post a copy of it here.
Cindy,
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. They mean a lot to me, as well as to all of my family.
I don't think I really cried at all these last few days--I actually felt wonderful. I think the prayers we've received had a lot to do with that. My grandmother suffered so much in the last six or seven years or so, losing her memory and then suffering from cancer at the end. I know she went through several periods when she was quite depressed, especially when we moved her into the assisted living apartments and then into the dementia care facility. I had a few conversations with at the care facility about what it's like to watch people move in and out. She remarked that when people leave, they "never come back." I know that watching this---even if she eventually forgot it---was hard on her.
A small blessing for me was finding a card she gave me in 2003. Dan lost his graphing calculator, and two weekends later (the last time I was home), I was looking for mine so that he could borrow it, when this card tumbled out of my cupboard. It was a card that accompanied a going away gift that she'd given me before I went to France. It had a nice little note about how she'd be praying for me, and how she'd be asking my mom for updates on my adventures while I was away. It occurred to me that this was the last card she ever gave me.
And it reminded me of who she was back in 2003; who she used to be. I started remembering all of the people I'd seen at her house who are no longer with us. I was filled with this feeling of knowing... knowing that they were pouring her manhattan and getting the euchre deck ready for her.
So I've been okay with this weekend, and I've been able to enjoy the company of my relatives. The youngest relatives were in town, and it certainly was great to see them!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. I believe they were a large part of the reason I found that card, and without that, I don't think I'd have fared so well this weekend.
Anna
I found myself writing this email to Cindy Furlow earlier this evening. I think it sums up how I've been faring these last few days, so I want to post a copy of it here.
Cindy,
Thank you for all of your prayers and support. They mean a lot to me, as well as to all of my family.
I don't think I really cried at all these last few days--I actually felt wonderful. I think the prayers we've received had a lot to do with that. My grandmother suffered so much in the last six or seven years or so, losing her memory and then suffering from cancer at the end. I know she went through several periods when she was quite depressed, especially when we moved her into the assisted living apartments and then into the dementia care facility. I had a few conversations with at the care facility about what it's like to watch people move in and out. She remarked that when people leave, they "never come back." I know that watching this---even if she eventually forgot it---was hard on her.
A small blessing for me was finding a card she gave me in 2003. Dan lost his graphing calculator, and two weekends later (the last time I was home), I was looking for mine so that he could borrow it, when this card tumbled out of my cupboard. It was a card that accompanied a going away gift that she'd given me before I went to France. It had a nice little note about how she'd be praying for me, and how she'd be asking my mom for updates on my adventures while I was away. It occurred to me that this was the last card she ever gave me.
And it reminded me of who she was back in 2003; who she used to be. I started remembering all of the people I'd seen at her house who are no longer with us. I was filled with this feeling of knowing... knowing that they were pouring her manhattan and getting the euchre deck ready for her.
So I've been okay with this weekend, and I've been able to enjoy the company of my relatives. The youngest relatives were in town, and it certainly was great to see them!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. I believe they were a large part of the reason I found that card, and without that, I don't think I'd have fared so well this weekend.
Anna