In a Funk

Geoff's grandmother was sick for several weeks before Thanksgiving, and on the Sunday before we received a message from his mother to pack nice clothes (for a funeral).  After hearing that, we decided to begin our Thanksgiving Break a little early and try to get to Georgia before Grannie died so Geoff could say goodbye.  We drove all day Tuesday and went to visit her on Wednesday afternoon. She had been unresponsive all morning but as soon as Geoff held her hand and spoke to her, her eyes flew open. I don't know what all he said, but I do know he told her we were there and that his dad and sister were on the way. One of her pastors stopped by on his way out for Thanksgiving and we all had a prayer. Grannie opened her eyes and was aware of that, too. We left to go home and order pizza for when Mark and Mary got there.  When we came back the next day, Thanksgiving, she was much worse. She wasn't responsive at all. Geoff and I left to go cook the turkey (my first turkey ever, and it was easy and delicious) and one hour later we found out she had passed. Geoff and I think she was holding on until every was there.

So Thanksgiving was a bit different this year, but I think in a way I got to understand family, love, and gratitude more than I would have if it had been the normal celebration. We were all able to be together, and  people were amazingly kind. People from both of her churches (she was a Baptist but went to church with her sister and best friend who are Methodists, so they switched off) came by to talk and brought enormous amounts of food. I shudder to think how much food we would have had, had it not been Thanksgiving--I complain, but we still really appreciated it. We were just overwhelmed by the amount of food.

After the funeral, Geoff and I drove back to NLR, spent the night at my parents, and then finished our drive back up to Fayetteville. I've been in finals mode ever since.  My first one was this morning and I have 3 more. So that's where I've been and where I am now.