Life & Loss

Last August, I was at a christening for my friend’s son when I got the call that my great uncle had passed away (A Time To Be) and I remember how I was struck by a life beginning and ending at the same time. This time, it was separated by my families. My adopted family had a new member coming. My biological family had a friend *ahem* going.

Recently, I had this same experience. Last weekend, I received a text from my sister-in-law announcing a “Gender Reveal” shindig for the Friday. I was excited to find out if I was going to have a new niece or nephew right around my birthday. I told her Mini and I would be there.

Tuesday, I had my Grandmother (who I call “Nanny” or “Nan” and is the Mother of my biological Father) over for dinner with some other family members. Awhile after we cleared dinner, I started to put dessert out. I left the brownie-cookie hybrid sitting in the muffin pans too long so they were being a pain to get out. I handed it over to my Father and he got down to work. Nanny chose that time to inform us that her friend T has passed away. I was in her mid-90’s, only a few years older than Nan herself. They had been friends for 60+ years and had even made plans to get together over the weekend. When Nan and her friend Ag didn’t hear from her, Ag called T’s daughter. T had complained of pain in her legs and her daughter went next door to get her husband. By the time they had returned, T was gone.

As I watched Nanny tell the story, I could see tears in her eyes. I can handle anything being thrown at me. I can’t handle seeing my daughter or Grandmother like that. She kept saying how she was just shocked T was gone and she couldn’t believe it. She then changed the subject, her signal that she no longer wanted to discuss it.

Friday night, I was sitting at the table with the adopted family staring at the cupcakes wondering if the filling would be pink or blue. I also had my mind on Nan, wondering how she was feeling at that moment. She had this group of friends for years and slowly, had buried each of them.

My heart cries for Nanny and what she must be feeling, but I’m ecstatic that I will have a new nephew right around my birthday in September!

Life is interesting that way, isn’t it?