The end of our vacation was extremely difficult and heartbreaking. My mom's mom, my Nana, died Sunday evening.
Nick and I were able to re-route our flights to Atlanta. We landed in Atlanta on Saturday night and headed straight over to the Hospice facility. The whole time on the flight from Belize to Atlanta (with a small layover in Miami) I kept thinking, "please let me make it in time to say goodbye." My mom had called before we took off from Belize letting me know she was getting progressively worse.
I took a Hospice elective course in nursing school and knew patients tended to hold on until they could say goodbye to everyone. I prayed that was the case for me.
When we got there Nana was still with us. She wouldn't open her eyes but she did respond to you when you talked to her. She would blink her eyes or move her eyebrows. I believe with every part of me that she could hear us. Hearing is the last sense to go.
I sat with her for a long time and just talked.... talked about anything and everything. She was so important to me. I loved her so very much. She was the "coolest" Nana anyone could ask for. She was so young at heart. I mean, she got a tattoo in her early sixties. Butterfly on her ankle.
I remember seeing one of my first R rated movies with her. We rented the first Scream. We sat on the couch and huddled together. Everytime she would get scared she would scream "shit!" She got a Henna tattoo with me when we were in Florida. We could shop for hours - I think that's where I got my love for shoes!
She was always there for me, no matter what. She was so strong, compassionate, and funny. She loved her grandchildren more than anything. There is this ache in my heart right now. I know it will get better but never completely go away. She wasn't just my Nana but a friend. I miss her so much already. She will always hold a very special place in my heart.
Here are just a few pictures I have saved to the computer...
She loved to dance!
Mom, Nana, and me.
Nana, I love you so much.
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