Wednesday, my husband's grandmother died. We've been expecting it since a week before Thanksgiving. We knew she would want to hold on for the holidays...and she did. She had major diabetes, her kidneys were pretty much useless and she was dealing with bad hypertension. She died around 8 oclock wed. morning. She wasn't sleeping really, just resting on her bed and then she just passed. We didn't make it there in time for us to see her before the funeral home took her. But, tomorrow is the funeral and boy, will it be a long day. I don't really plan on wearing make-up, since I know I'll just cry it off.

True, this is not my grandmother. But I've known the lady for about 6 yrs now. She was born in Mexico, gave birth to 11 children, but only 10 of them lived. She grew up poor, married at 16, had an abusive relationship with the father of her children until she divorced in the 80's. Had a commom law husband of about 20 years until he passed away, very unexpectantly, a few years ago. She buried her mother, 98, a few years ago, her brothers and a daughter in law. She was the cutest little mexican lady who always liked to hit people with her cane..but people waited on her hand and foot because she was the matriarch of the family. Decisions weren't made without her approval. She was 77.

So, tomorrow will be a tough day for everyone. I'm sure all 99 people will be crying. I just hope this family doesn't fall apart like my family did when my grandmother died. Who will we all gather around on Mother's Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas? It seems silly to only show up at family events for one person, but hey, Grandma would want us there..so we'd go. But it happens. People stop caring after the elders go.