Old age is remarkably undignified. As you trace across the land of time, your body gradually degrades, reminding you that time is not such a great healer after all. When you reach your later years, despite the plethora of drugs and potions available today, there is no elixir of youth that brings you back to your glory days.
Still, at least there *were* glory days, full of fun, smiles and immense occasions. The sad thing is that they usually happen when you’re too young and poor to recognise them. Life is a funny old thing – it would be much better reversed.
At 3am on Sunday 15th July, after 93 years on this planet, my grandmother decided that she’d had enough of life. She died after managing to gather an enormous amount of illnesses all at once, as if ensuring that she’d definitely not be coming back. Goodbye, Grandma.
Dear Simon,
In such circumstances, please do accept my sincere condolences with all my sympathy.
Your grand mother had been the witness of the most important events of the last century, and i am sure that she taught you so many things, like mine did too …
Take care
Simon,
If ageing teaches us one thing, it is that we are all immortal, but for such a short period of time. Yet in the time alloted we can bear witness to events and changes beyond our expectations.
Last year my mother died at the (relatively) young age of 74. Yet I found it difficult to be sad. She was born, one of 13 children to an itinerant Irish labourer in 1931. She was a twin who weighed only 3lb at birth. She lived through a World War, the Cold War, raised 2 children and had a happy marriage and a comfortable life. I’m sure that were I to travel back in time to her youth and tell her of her life to come, she would believe none of it. From such poor and inauspicious beginnings to leading a prosperous and secure life was unthinkable.
But it happened.
Don’t mourn your Grandmother’s death, but instead celebrate her life and all the wonderful things that filled it; children, grandchildren, the end of WW2, and other events too numerous to mention.
In sympathy
Clive