GiGi

I'm really worried about my Grandmother. She's having some dental surgery this week...which I guess to some might seem minor, but my Grandmother is 80 years old, and has Type I diabetes.



My wonderful Grandmother- Betty

My Grandmother is a spit fire! She's opinionated and sweet and loving. I adore her! She's been a huge part of my life from day one. I spent every summer of my life between her home and my other grandparents. I have tons of great memories and it kills me to see her failing health. She has five grandkids and twelve great-grandkids. :) Brandon and Kyle started calling her GiGi when they were little because "Great-Grandmother" was just a mouthful...and GiGi stuck! The great-grandkids love her so much. Two years ago we had to sell her house and move her closer to my Aunt Carol, Uncle Kendall and my Mom and Dad. She's been living comfortably in a gated retirement community with her goofy dog Precious (a chihuahua/boston terrier mix *if you can picture that mix!*). I guess I'm just nervous about all this because we have all known that these are her twilight years (and I don't mean sparkly vampires) it's been rough on everyone watching this unfold. 

Best GiGi in the world Tshirt

I guess it's bothering me so much because I am realizing that the generational responsibilities going on right now are shifting once again. When I was a kid...about Brandon's age 13 or so...I watched my grandmother deal with my Great-Grandmother's decline in health. My Grandmother took my Great-Grandmother into her home to live with her towards the end of her life. My Great-Grandmother had Alzheimer's Disease. It was heart breaking to watch unfold. My mother was there too of course, and seemed so....'grown up' and 'adult' to me (of course she would seem that way) but I sit here knowing that my mother wasn't much older than I am now when all that happened. I have no idea how she did all she did for my Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. How strong my mother truly is, is really laying on my shoulders now. I am realizing that I too will have to share the load of caring for and helping out with my Grandmother if and when my mom cannot...or my Aunt cannot. And then...for my own parents. Boy that puts things into persepective real quick. 

GiGi with a few of her G-Grandkids
Leif (my nephew), Brendalyn, Cale, Nautie, Irie, and Kyrah (my 2nd cousins)

I hate admitting this...but I'm scared. I'm so very scared. I don't want to lose my Grandmother any time soon, but I can see the writing on the walls. I just hope that the youngest of the twelve great-grandkids get to remember some part of her, in some way. The youngest is not yet one years old. I'm afraid that she will have no memory of her precious and beloved GiGi. I know we will all fill her with stories, and laughter and pictures and film of her. And let her know, if she's a spunky kid like her sibling and cousins are....it's because of her GiGi. I love my Grandmother so much. I love my family. I feel so lucky to have such a great loving group of people to call my own.

Jaesus.

Love that family of mine.

I got a newsletter today. My family's newsletter. Yes, we are "that" kind of family. Always keeping up with each other. Our family reunion is every June. We always get a news letter in February or March highlighting all the things that have happened over the last year. New cousins born, deaths of loved ones, happy stories, fun moves, or hard times. It's always in there. Today I got in the mail our newsletter

written by my dear second cousin Tinker. She said something in this news letter that really touched me a lot. Something that I thought only I noticed, but it's pretty apparent to me now that I have an exceptional family indeed. I love them to pieces and feel so blessed to have them in my life. Tinker writes: "...I witness the abundance of love this family has always had for each other. This is proven every year, and I hope that you have witnessed this at the reunions. Every time you see one of our family members see another member, perhaps for the first time since the last reunion, you will see the same things happen. Always present in the eyes of each one, there is so much emotion of happiness and excitement. The smiles are spread all over their faces and it equals nothing short of pure joy." I fee so lucky that my children will grow up with such a close extended family. I look forward to the many reunions to come and the time I get to spend with my loved ones. This year there are only 3 remaining siblings of the original family of 13 children born to my Great-grandparents Pa Jack and Grandma Josephine). My Great Aunts Ann and Mary Alice, and my Pap Pa are all that are left. We might be Scottish, but we party and love like any huge Italian family! :D

Jaesus.