Grandma Rose

Grandma Rose fell asleep in Christ on Friday the first of September. On the Tuesday a few days before she was taken to the hospital because her Potassium levels were off the charts and all thought that she would not make it through the night. She held on a few more days and in that time many were able to visit her one last time. Life and death were able to touch as well. My cousin Christa gave birth on the same hospital floor to her first son Logan and Grandma’s tenth great-grandchild, and Grandma was able to meet him. Welcoming life in the midst of death! At 5:30am on Friday as the last of her nine children were entering her hospital room, she breathed her last. Grandpa Jack had struggled painfully his last days, struggling for every breath. We would dampen his lips with a moist swab or with ice chips as his stubborn Irish body fought the death it knew was inevitable. He waited until he was alone until he died… alone with Christ. Grandma died as she lived, surrounded by the family that she had raised.

Mom called me at 6:55am that morning to tell me the news of Grandma’s death. How thankful I am for the gift of cell phones that can reach across large distances and keep us connected with those we love. I wrote Horacio, who had just arrived at the U, and he (without my asking) left school to be with me. Karen started to see what the best ticket price would be to get home and Beatriz came over until Horacio could arrive.

I am sad that I will not be able to see her eyes just light up when I come to visit any more or hear her tell me she loves me as I kiss her cheek or forehead goodbye. As we closed the casket on Tuesday after the family asked me to pray and together we prayed the prayer our Lord taught us, I said goodbye one last time. Kissing her forehead the chill of death greeted my lips, a penetrating cold.

Thanks be to God that that kiss of death is not the last word. Christ has prepared a place for her with him and one day I too will be received into His arms as well.