movin' on up

just got word that gram has passed on. sounds like it was peaceful, not just for her but for my mom as well, who was at gram's side when she died.

this was all very sudden in a way, because although her alzheimer's was worsening over the past few years, her general health was fairly good. the cruelty of a disease like alzheimer's is that it often extends a person's decline because it doesn't affect anything more than the mind. in this circumstance, the sudden onset of an overwhelming, terminal disease like leukemia can be seen as nothing more than a blessing.

working in long-term care for the past 4 years as i have, i harbor very strong views about end-of-life care and an individual's right to die. (maybe fodder for another post someday, but just to clarify now- euthanasia is murder and is not part of my right-to-die philosophy). gram was allowed to die in comfort, with dignity, and with her daughter and a priest at her bedside.

a beautiful end to a beautiful life.