W’s grandmother is sick. She was placed on hospice about two weeks ago.
During one of our visits, there was some talk about a grandson who had yet to visit.
Grandmom paused, thinking about the message that she wanted to relay in case anything happened to her before she saw her grandson in person.
“Oh, he knows I love him,” she said.
And, he does. They all do. The sons, the daughter, their spouses, the grandchildren, even the great-grandchildren.
She made sure in her 91 years that everyone knew — really knew — that she loves and values them all. Now, as she sits propped up in a hospital bed in her daughter’s home looking out the windows at a pair of birdfeeders, she doesn’t have any catching up to do.
They already know.
* * *
I have a leather-bound journal that I use to jot down quotes that I find profound or insightful. A turn of a phrase that resonates with me or makes me say “huh” in a good way.
“I’ll probably really figure out exactly how to be alive right when I’m gasping for my last breath.”
That’s a quote from The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton. I wrote it down because it mirrors how I feel.
* * *
If something happened to me and my time here on Earth was suddenly up, would everyone in my life know that I love them?
I’m not so sure. I’d like to think so, but there have been so many times when I haven’t had a kind word, the extra time, a smile, patience, understanding, forgiveness.
I struggle with so many things, which is why I find it plausible that I’ll never get it all figured out until the very end. A self-defeating thought, sure enough.
When I start thinking about how I’ll never get this life thing right, I hope I’ll always remember Grandmom and how she loved as she went.
So that I won’t ever have to play catch up with the things that really matter.
The Flannel Files 
And did she know that she was loved so deeply in return? That’s always my worry–that they know they’re loved too.
She does. I’m certain of it.
I told my dad I loved him the other day – not a usual occurrence for me. But he was in an accident, has moved to a different country, he’s fine, but just thought I really need to say it no matter how uncomfortable it makes me feel – which it does lol.
Hey, good for you. For going outside your comfort zone.
I’m not the best at saying it. I always hope that my actions speak for me. I guess I should just say it more. 🙂
Actions do go a long way. But it doesn’t hurt to verbalize things, too.
profound.. thank you.. Angel and I had a talk with our older daughter the other night about what we would like if anything happened to us… I thought about who would get what and who would go where.. never did I think.. have I said I love you lately.. I tell Angel all the time.. and I tell the kids everytime I talk to them.. but my sister lives with us.. and I have a hard time expressing to her that indeed I do love her.. I am inspired to write out letters to everyone I hold close to my heart.
Storm, I hope you write those letters. We never know what curveball life is going to throw our way. At some point, it will be too late to say all of those unsaid things.