Comments on: A visit with Aunt Anne http://www.apartment2024.com/2007/11/30/a-visit-with-aunt-anne/ Food, family and synchronicity, in mostly equal parts Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:44:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jennie http://www.apartment2024.com/2007/11/30/a-visit-with-aunt-anne/#comment-67465 Jennie Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:26:56 +0000 http://www.apartment2024.com/2007/11/30/a-visit-with-aunt-anne/#comment-67465 This is a powerfully written post. Thank you for sharing something so personal and inspirational. I know that sounds ironic...it's quite sad that your aunt is struggling. But it's also inspirational that she's been so independent for so long and continues to trod along. It's just as inspirational that you have the courage to confront this deterioration and the grace to keep on showing your love to her. I know that I have a very difficult time watching my grandmother, now entering her 90s, grow really and truly old. Until just a year ago she was feisty and alive. Now she's distant and somehow hollow, which makes it hard for me to visit sometimes. After reading your post, I'm determined to go see her this weekend. Thank you! This is a powerfully written post. Thank you for sharing something so personal and inspirational. I know that sounds ironic…it’s quite sad that your aunt is struggling. But it’s also inspirational that she’s been so independent for so long and continues to trod along. It’s just as inspirational that you have the courage to confront this deterioration and the grace to keep on showing your love to her. I know that I have a very difficult time watching my grandmother, now entering her 90s, grow really and truly old. Until just a year ago she was feisty and alive. Now she’s distant and somehow hollow, which makes it hard for me to visit sometimes. After reading your post, I’m determined to go see her this weekend. Thank you!

]]> By: Wendy http://www.apartment2024.com/2007/11/30/a-visit-with-aunt-anne/#comment-67250 Wendy Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:10:01 +0000 http://www.apartment2024.com/2007/11/30/a-visit-with-aunt-anne/#comment-67250 My grandmother was always a dynamic woman on the go and after an aneurysm her life drastically changed into a downward spiral. It was so hard to watch her lose her dynamism and what made her the woman she was. Unfortunately my family was not ready to let her go when she had a chance and she ended up on a respirator in a nursing home for 9 months, very unhappy. It was difficult for her, but it gave my family time to let her go. I always wished that she didn't need to go through the last part of her life. Somehow I just spiraled downward into sadness when that was not my intention. What I learned from my experience with my grandma I was able to use to help my elderly landlady in her final months. Her family wanted to put her into a nursing home, but she never wanted to leave her home and I encouraged her to stand by her wishes and in the end she was able to die at home. It was sad, but I felt like she got the end she wanted to her life and I feel glad I was able to help her in any small way with that when I wasn't able to help my own grandmother. I am sure that your visits to your aunt do brighten her day even if it is just as a tv companion. It is so good of you to be able to find some time in your crazy schedule to go see her. My grandmother was always a dynamic woman on the go and after an aneurysm her life drastically changed into a downward spiral. It was so hard to watch her lose her dynamism and what made her the woman she was. Unfortunately my family was not ready to let her go when she had a chance and she ended up on a respirator in a nursing home for 9 months, very unhappy. It was difficult for her, but it gave my family time to let her go. I always wished that she didn’t need to go through the last part of her life.

Somehow I just spiraled downward into sadness when that was not my intention.
What I learned from my experience with my grandma I was able to use to help my elderly landlady in her final months. Her family wanted to put her into a nursing home, but she never wanted to leave her home and I encouraged her to stand by her wishes and in the end she was able to die at home. It was sad, but I felt like she got the end she wanted to her life and I feel glad I was able to help her in any small way with that when I wasn’t able to help my own grandmother.
I am sure that your visits to your aunt do brighten her day even if it is just as a tv companion. It is so good of you to be able to find some time in your crazy schedule to go see her.

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