A bittersweet weekend

We spent last weekend with my family, celebrating the boys birthdays. We went to an indoor water park with my sister & her boys, and had a fantastic time with all of the kiddos.

We also found out that my grandmother was in the hospital, and while the weekend was extremely painful for all of us, I'm so glad that I could be there for my mother. We took turns staying with my grandmother, comforting my mother, and staying with her husband as he made very difficult decisions. Although the weekend was nothing like I could have imagined, it was important that I was able to support my family & also to say goodbye to my grandmother, who passed away while I was in the air on Monday, flying home.

I feel so lucky that I had three of my grandparents with me until just a few years ago - my boys know all of them, and I had such a special bond with them growing up. It's hard to say goodbye to that era where you actually have grandparents, and my grandmother's passing reminds me of the difficult years that lay ahead with my own parents. My mom also has a special needs sister, so we're all very concerned about her future without my grandmother in the picture - both from a financial standpoint, as well as the logistics of getting groceries each week, spending time with her, etc.

There's a lot more here, but that's all I can muster up to write for the moment.

Take the time to hug everyone you love! I got the chance to spend time with my grandmother at Christmas, and will always be so grateful that I dragged myself away from the work drama on Christmas Eve to give her hugs, and chat with her.