92 and Counting

I have been very fortunate in my lifetime to have relationships with all four of my grandparents. We have except for my few years in North Carolina lived within driving distance of each other. Yesterday was Grandmommie's 92nd birthday! I have wonderful, funny and vivid memories of Grandmommie and Bobo.........the playhouse out back, the rusty slide, cookies in the jar, solitaire, soaps, her sneaking cigarettes, being turned upside down to dislodge what I was choking on, arriving in the middle of the night in the cold at their house, the station wagon, the tableau at SBC, banana nut bread, the little black and white TV, the panel ray heater, her reading to my kids, seeing her sit in the red chair, what seemed like 50 of us at their house for Christmas, her and Golda being snappy, her standing by the stove....always, her 'not really sleeping' - Mom does this now, sitting in the front left section of the sanctuary with her every Sunday we were there, the sound of the sewing machine, calling all of us grandkids by the wrong name growing up - it's hard when you have so many, the hats she loved to wear, long summer visits, watching her in the yard. I treasure all of the time we have had together and for the stories and love she has so freely given to each of us over the years.

She has been living with my parents for almost 4 years now and dementia has slowly taken away all of her abilities to know and interact with the people that love her so dearly. She relies completely on the care Mom and Dad are able to give her around the clock. Thank you Mom and Dad for all of your sacrifices to love and honor her in her latter years. I know it has taken an enormous emotional and physical toll on both of you. It is an effort that most people would not put forth. Thank you for being a tremendous example to us of how to take care of your parents as they age (not just with Grandmommie.) You have done a fantastic job!

August 2009

Sylvia Hinton with me and four of her great-grandchildren - she never would have

been able to keep track of all of these C names!