When I left for school, I remember how I felt extremely well. I don’t know how to completely describe it. It was a mix of fear, anxiety, and sadness. And I felt it about leaving my grandma. My grandma and I have always been extremely close. For basically my entire life, my grandparents lived with my family. They were my caretakers when my mom went back to work after I was born, and I was a pretty lucky kid for always having them around.
After my grandpa passed away in 2012, my grandma’s health began to decline. The passing of my grandpa was so sudden and no one saw it coming. I learned to not take any of my family for granted. Ever since that day, I have a fear that the same thing will happen to others that I love. So, when I left for school, I had extreme anxiety about my grandma, her health, and when I would see her next. I had to learn to trust my parents and other family members when they would tell me “Grandma is fine!”
When I got to school I spent a lot of time trying to figure out ways to check up on her. When I left, she had gotten a new roommate at her nursing home, and they had become the best of friends. My grandma, Theresa, and her new roommate, Rona, are inseparable. They do everything together, and they always know how to make each other laugh. It brings me so much joy to see them having fun together, just like college roommates. Rona is much younger than my grandma and more in tune with today’s technology, so we text all the time. Rona has been such an unbelievable help in easing the anxiety that leaving for school had given me about my grandma. Whenever there is a problem or a missed phone call, she doesn’t hesitate to text me, or my family. She’s pretty cool and I totally enjoy hanging out with the two of them.
My grandma and I talk on the phone all the time, even more now than I did when I was home. I’ve found that consistent contact with her, even if it is just for a few minutes completely eases my anxiety and lets me know that she is safe. Lately I’ve been experiencing a lot of different emotions. My grandma’s health has declined, and a new day can bring anything. I’ve learned that making the most of every moment with her is what I want to do.
I am sure some of you reading this might be in a similar situation. Maybe not with a family member, but with someone that you love and appreciate. I write this now to urge you to create every possible moment you can create with the people you love because you never know what each day will bring. Hold the people you love close and tight to your heart, and make sure you know that they are loved, valued, and never taken for granted.