Loss

Two ladies passed away this week.  One I knew well and one I never met.

Sunday morning around 3:30am, Drew’s grandmother, Frances Southern Walker, passed away.  She fought a good fight but finally went peacefully in her sleep.  She has had a tough year with a big stroke in March and seizures in October.  Each time the doctors said it could be a matter of days and both times she went home.  She was a tough lady.  Although Nanny had some quirks (don’t we all),  like she was petrified of bad weather and she was a constant worrier, she was a fun lady to be around.  Back before we had kids, Drew and I would spend evenings at her house playing cards with her and her sister Margaret.  It was fun and we enjoyed those times.  Nanny could also make an amazing Christmas day meal and give a mean neck massage too.  She had some strong hands, perfect for a massage!  She will be missed, but she is finally free of pain and the awful Alzheimer's she suffered from. 

Nanny with her kids:  Mike, Bob, and JoanCelebrating Nanny’s 87th birthday in October.

The other lady who passed away was Elizabeth Edwards.  She was an attorney, author, a health care activist, and was married to John Edwards, the former U.S. Senator from NC and the 2004 Democratic vice-presidential nominee.  Obviously I didn’t know her but she seemed to be a upstanding lady who was dealt her share of hard times.  One of her hardships was the loss a 16 year old son in a car wreck in 1996. 

I read a quote of hers today and it hit close to home.

"If you know anyone who has lost a child or someone that is important to them and you're afraid to mention them because you think you might make them sad, by reminding them that they died, they didn't forget they died and you're not reminding them. What you're reminding them of is that you remember that they lived and that is a great, great gift."