Granny Smith is fading · 11:02pm Oct 11th, 2018
Or, granny Kowalski, as this is the Polish equivalent.
For years I have lampshaded the name coincidence, very fitting with the fact that her thin apple cake was the defining taste of my childhood. She was a wellspring of life experience (and an occassional witty comment), a hard working and level-headed person, an old-fashioned tailor who could just pin a length of cloth around a customer, and make a dress without a blueprint. Even as her age robbed her of her abilities one after another, I kept saying how glad I was that she stayed with us for so long.
And now, at 93, it seems her time has finally ran out.
The end as it unfolds is, perhaps mercifully, anticlimactic. There is nothing dramatic, or overly painful, like cancer, just some petty seasonal infection that just happened to tip her body past the breaking point. As I am writing this, she's technically still alive, and might keep breathing for days or weeks, depending on the skill of the hospital staff. But the person she was has already ended - the illness comes with one defining symptom, overwhelming weakness, leaving her exhausted to the point where just waking up enough to be spoon-fed becomes a serious effort. Most of the time she can't spare the strength to notice visitors, let alone speak. She just lies still in bed, waiting.
There is a lot of life advice over the internet to love the people who are important to you while they are here, because that's something you won't be able to make up for later. I must say... I did take it to heart, and I'm glad I did. For many years it has been a family tradition to meet for dinner at grandma's house every Sunday, spending time with her, to enjoy her company, and make her feel loved.
Now I pass it on to you. If there are people important to you, spend some time showing it. You will be glad you did.
I'm a bit envious of having a grandparent in driving distance. The household of my relatives have been all over the States. At least you got to spend so much time with her.
Good to hear that you had a lot of good time with her. I hope you're okay.
Update: She passed away today, after two weeks of being mostly unresponsive.
She will be remembered fondly.