last saturday we made the familiar drive with my parents from boise to nyssa.
i hadn't been in years, and it was nice to have olive meet my grandma and grandpa frederiksen for the first time. we spent the afternoon talking around the kitchen table as i remember doing so many times as a child. i watched my grandma sleep, i admired the quilt that was stretched in the living room, i watched my dad feed his mother, i took a walk with olive in the field by the barn, i listened to grandpa play the piano. nothing unusual happened, but it was deeply memorable and reflective for me.
my grandma passed away last night.
she was 77 years old and she had been battling alzheimers for several years. alzheimers is a mean disease. she digressed in stages from forgetful to confused, to delightful, to combative, to sedative, to helpless. I wasn't around for a lot of the process, but I was able to see her on occasion and it was a difficult journey to witness, it took her from us long before last night.
she died peacefully on wednesday, february 24, 2010 surrounded by family, a reminder to me that the most important things in life are our relationships with others.
my grandma lived a simple life in terms defined by many, but she was a great example to me of creativity, determination, and service. she was the only one that called me andrea.
we will miss you grandma.
