This month has been a whirlwind (tornados and all) of activity - some of it good, some bad, some bittersweet.
The back-to-school ritual went off without a hitch. All the new activities, classmates, and routines were for the most part celebrated and embraced. To see my former preemie board the school bus with confidence and fearlessness was astounding to me. She greeted the day as if there were hundreds of new adventures waiting just for her. As I stood there bawling after the bus pulled away, it felt as if every conversation, activity, word of praise, and word of correction was all for this moment. And it was.
This new beginning corresponded with an ending. My grandmother passed last week at the age of 93. As a family, we came together to care for our matriarch and support each other. Her five-week hospitalization was exhausting for all of us, yet somehow it was filled with resilience, hope, and ultimately, peace.
So now, another beginning is upon us - the beginning of our family minus one. Even though my grandmother had been declining for some time, she continued to be the glue that brought the family together. Whether at the assisted living facility, the nursing home, or the hospital, we gathered and celebrated the occasion du jour (birthday, holiday, Tuesday). No matter the locale, we were her raucous bunch of granddaughters catching up, great-grandkids racing about, and sons and daughters-in-law most certainly bragging about our latest accomplishments.
I have no doubt we will continue to be “glued,” but in a new way. My hope is that we will create it with that same excitement and sense of what-is-yet-to-come of the school bus adventure.