Once I got over the shock, I made plans to make a very quick trip home to Iowa for the services. Getting to Iowa is not easy under the best of circumstances, but I was fortunate to find a good airfare, and to be able to make the trip with some of my siblings. My parents were able to come up from their mission in Mississippi, and my sister from Texas and her family also made the trip.
We joined with my Aunt and Uncle, and my cousins, in grieving, and reminiscing, and eating (when it comes to our family, there is always lots of eating), and it ended up being a good weekend. Gram was not LDS, but she had a very firm faith in Christ, and the services I think reflected that. Her minister spoke and shared some of her favorite scriptural passages, and my Dad's side of the family sang "I Believe in Christ". And an old classmate of mine and his staff at the funeral home could not have been any kinder. I think Gram would have been very pleased.
I miss Gram dearly, and not having her physically here with us will definitely take some time to get used to. We were fortunate to live in Iowa for several years when we were growing up, and to have Gramp and Gramp right around the corner. Needless to say, we all adored her. After we moved, and after Gramp had passed, we still felt so close to her, even though we lived far away. I spoke with her pretty regularly on the phone, and I went back every few years to visit.
In the past year, she had moved to a care center. I was pretty opposed to this, but she was determined that it was the best thing. Unfortunately, it made communication with her a little more difficult, and we hadn't talked in quite a long time. I feel horrible about that, but I hope she knew at the end how much I loved her.
Even though these last several days have been pretty hard, I'm grateful for dear family, and thoughtful friends, and for faith in the Savior. I believe I'll see my Gram again, and I look forward to that reunion.
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