Grampa
I don’t know what it will be like to see Grampa after all these years. Last time I saw him was at Grammy’s funeral years ago. He turned 90 last September and is living in the nursing home where she spent the last years of her life. I never had a connection with him like I did with Grammy.
Whenever I came to to visit their house, I would hug and kiss them both, but would sit in the recliner next to Grammy. She would mute the TV and we would talk about things that you wouldn’t believe. Stuff that she genuinely liked to listen to me talk about. I did not tell her things to get her opinion, just to have an outlet and she was such a great listener.
Grampa could hardly hear us 100% of the time. I remember everyone nearly shouting at him so that he could hear what we were saying. Even if he didn’t, he would still nod his head and smile.
I love hearing stories from my mom about Grampa and how he is coping with his current living situation at the nursing home. Obviously it has got to be hard to go from living with your wife, to living on your own, to living in an assisted living facility because you need constant care, supervision and administration of medications. It is the best place for him given his age and what he’s gone through losing Grammy. But that doesn’t mean the ridiculousness that is his life has to end.
He asked my mother for flannel-lined pants this past April and being a sensible woman, my mother told him he didn’t need flannel-lined pants. It is springtime and we will be in the warm summer months soon. Grampa replied that he wouldn’t live that long.
Then in the same flannel-lined-pants visit, Grampa asked for popcorn that is butter-free, salt-free, good-for-you-taste-free because he needs to watch his weight. My mother replied that if he wasn’t going to live that long, then why watch his weight now?!
Being the old guy that he is, Grampa just did the old-guy-nod-your-head thing. Being the good daughter in law that she is, my mom got him what he wanted.
When I come home for a few days in August I plan on seeing Grampa and will answer the same 3 questions he always asks me:
- How is your car running and did you change the oil?
- Have you had many earthquakes?
- How’s the weather?
