My grandfather misses me – Full circle moment
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You know, sometimes I take for granite our living situation. Just wanted to share a quick little story that gave me one of those, “ah ha moments.” I shared last week that I am working on a Mid Century Design project at the HomeGoods headquarters near our house. I have been leaving the house at the wee hours in the morning and returning after dark. My grandfather isn’t use to that. My grandparents, especially my grandfather, are so accustomed to me working from home that he is messed up that I am not around during the day these past couple weeks. Here is a picture of my grandparents a couple years ago when they renewed their wedding vows after 64 years of marriage.
Every morning, my dad gets up around 5am for the day and heads to check on my grandfather and check his sugar levels. Then my grandfather joins him for coffee every morning in our downstairs family room. They watch the news, have coffee and hang out. My grandfather passed by me in the kitchen last week around 6:30am as he was headed to work and came over to me and said, “hi hun, I miss and love you.” He was all choked up and I said, “what is wrong with you?” -ha. He looked at me and said, “I miss you.” You are not home all day. I laughed and said, “gramp, we live in the same house, how can you miss me? I don’t even see you half the time during the day because I am working and you are watching your TV shows or you are in your workshop.” Then it dawned on me, just knowing that I am around during the day, even if I don’t see him, gives him peace of mind and makes him comfortable. I may not see my grandparents during the day under normal circumstances as I am working from home, doing errands or stuff with the kids but they know I am close by. Usually within 5 – 10 minutes. -ha. You see, my parents and husband leave early in the morning for work and get home after dark. BUT I am always home or close by. It is so strange how life has come full circle with me and my grandparents. I use to have the sense of security with them when I was a kid and now roles have reversed and they have it with me. LIFE. IS. SO. STRANGE. SOMETIMES! Be sure to check out more about my grandparents and our Dementia Diaries that we started a few weeks ago.
Meet Jessica
What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.
That’s so sweet!
Very sweet Jess – thanks for sharing!
This bought tears to me. You are a sense of security for your grandparents. I love when you talk about them. What a blessing you are to them and your parents.
Thanks Beth!
I truly love reading about your family Jess! I came across your blog from Pinterest looking at house decor but I come back and check in to read about your sweet family!
Thank you Kathy! Nice to meet you 🙂
I envy you (in a good way). I grew up without my parents as they split up when I was almost 5, and my siblings were 3 and 11 months. We were placed in a Children’s Home. Our Dad stayed around until I was 10 and 50 plus years from then I found out that he had a second wife and three more children. Since I am a grandmother I got in touch with two of the three and in good time as one of them recently died. My father died in 2007 before I found his other family. And I only briefly lived with my Mom and I was too old to need her by then as I had raised myself and my sisters too. I would love to live with one of our daughters and her children if the home was big enough so we didn’t get in one another’s way. I am sorry about your granddad but he is lucky to have you. When I was young my maternal grandmother and husband #5, my grandfather Fred, were always there for us and were the guiding hands of getting our Mom to come back to us after all those years away. I enjoy your FB page and now can follow you on your blog too. Cheers to all who dwell in Four Generations One Roof. xoxoxox
Oh wow Barb, that is an incredible story. So happy you found us and I hope one day, you get your wish to live your one of your daughters 🙂 It’s really a kind of cool experience most of the time. ha.
Sweet, Jessica! Just precious. So glad you have your granddad, dementia and all. My mom has been gone a year next week. I’m beginning to remember her before the dementia stole her from us. There are cycles in life, as you have pointed out. Some are easier memories than others, and all are taken with the perspective of those cycles, as you said. We don’t get to choose .. but we can treasure what we have.
Thank you Joyce for your sweet comment 🙂 Indeed, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster but I feel very lucky to have both my grandparents still. So sorry about your mom. Glad you are starting to remember her when she was healthy and whole. Yes, the aging process certainly seems to take over and that real reality sometimes makes us forget the healthy years.