The end of an era

Late last week my 91 year old Grandma passed away quite expectedley. She had suffered from organ failure for the past month and basically got progressively worse.

My grandfather (her husband) had passed away in late August. So Grandma was going to get to be with her sweetheart.

I thought it would be a happy occasion with many happy reunions.

It surprised me however when I felt the tears come.

I came to the realization that a part of my childhood had come to an end. Some of my childhood memories had ended.

The memory I'm talking about is all the memories of Grandma and Grandpa and them in their house.

The crazy rug in the basement that we played hopscotch on. Aunt Linda's wedding. All the Readers digests in the bookcase and watching movies in the TV room. The crazy things Grandma and Grandpa had on their fireplace mantle and how they rarely changed. I mean how long was that crazy sundae looking thing there for anyway?

The pictures in the hallway and using the upstairs bathroom with the sliding door and Grandma's panty hose hanging everywhere. The weird bathroom downstairs where you weren't quite sure how to lock the door but you hoped you did it right.

Sleeping on the couches in the basement and the breakfasts that Grandpa would cook for us and how he would go to the store (even in his 80's) for the ingredients before we were even up.

The path in the backyard and how when I was young it felt like a secret forest.

These are all good memories, but with someone besides Grandma and Grandpa living there, it will never be quite the same.

I posted this on my family website, but so far, people have ignored it.

Sometimes I feel so out of synch with my family.