Saturday, September 30, 2006

Sad news

Oliver and his Great Grandmother
Nin and Oliver

Last night my Mum phoned to say that my grandmother, "Nin", in her 90s and increasingly frail, had taken a turn for the worse and may not last the next 24 hours. Although she had become very frail and confused recently it still surprised me slightly. And it wasn't the first time we thought we might lose her. She was bed bound for months once in 2000 but recovered strongly.

Sadly, this time was different. Before we could reach my Mum to say we'd travel up the next day, she called us to say Nin had died. She outlived my grandfather by 17 years. I can only hope they are re-united now as they loved each other very much in life.

I'm glad that Oliver got to meet her. Even though she could seem confused at times, she clearly loved holding his hands and singing to him. ("Horsey, horsey, don't you stop...")

My Nin and Grandad were a big part of my childhood and it's hard to take in that they have both gone.

Now we are weighing up what to do about the funeral and whether to take Oliver. I think he and Hayley will just go to the reception afterwards when thoughts are not just about the past but also about moving forward. Taking Oliver seems appropriate in that way.

Hayley and Nin (Steve's grandmother)
Hayley and Nin