Saturday, April 08, 2006


Sad news for my family Friday. My father's mother is doing very badly. She is the grandmother with Alzheimer's I mentioned recently. She was taken to the hospital this morning. I grieve for her and for the awareness she's lost, but mostly I grieve for my father, who feels her loss most keenly of all, I believe.
I was working to get as much jewelry made as possible these past few days, and today I had to wrap it up and get ready to set up for the show, so late this afternoon I loaded everything into my chariot, and went in and took a shower and washed my hair. I felt tired, drained, and went out into the back in a robe to let my hair dry a bit in the windstorm that dragged the cool front in this afternoon. Though they bowed with the wind, the flowers held onto their petals, denying the wind its brutal prize of denuding them of color. I brought a book and sat in the sun by the pool, but I didn't read a word. I sat looking to the east, and waiting for the neighbor's giant trees to snap with the fury of the wind. I kept thinking of grandma, and what a brief glimmer of time on earth a life is. Beyond the edge of the roof I saw the moon sliding into view, that great rattle bead in our celestial hula-hoop. This moon was sentinel to her childhood, overseer of her life and its seasons. Will this be the last moon's sweep of my grandmother's life?

11 comments:

Charlie said...

This moon was sentinel to her childhood, overseer of her life and its seasons.

A beautiful memory.

Charlie

Jerrster said...

I looked to the moon once, not for anything...just one night...I needed a quiet smile...I wasn't disappointed.

phlegmfatale said...

Thanks, admiral and jerry, and ben for taking time to write such kind sentiments today.

M said...

I really hope everything works out well.

Michelle.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

I wish your family strength in dealing with this sadness. It is so difficult when a once vibrant person is taken away slowly like this (as my father was as well, with a stroke). It sounds as though you will always remember and cherish her strength.

Ms. M said...

I'm so sorry about your grandma. My mother's mother has it as well. The last visit I made to her about 9 months ago was so sad as she did not know who I was. Just the year before she did know me. It's so awful to know that she is living in a world all her own and is scared of what she now does not know. I feel your pain and wish thsi disease was not so torturous to the loved ones of the afflicted as well as the afflicted.

My prayers are with you!

Jay Noel said...

Best wishes for your family, especially your father.

LJ said...

Ah, lovey. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

phlegmfatale said...

thanks nongirlfriend, michelle, barbara, ms. m, phoenix and lj. Your thoughts and well-wishes are greatly appreciated. As of two hours ago, news was she's stabilized after a very rough night. I'm just hoping and praying for the best outcome with the least discomfort for her. Thanks again, everyone. You're a golden bunch of people.

Attila the Mom said...

I've said this before...you have such a way with words.

As someone who has lost several family members to alzheimers, I can't tell you how much I grieve for you and your family.

I know, it's just words on a screen.

Let me simply say this. Your grandma is forgetting her journey through life because of a horrible disease.

You're doing a lovely job of preserving what you know of it and your feelings for her with your beautiful gift of words.

I'm so sorry this is happening to her and your family.

Best wishes.

Anonymous said...

Awwww,
sorry 2 hear that!
:"(