Last Thursday, I spent the evening with my grandparents at their nursing home to attend their holiday party. They have been in & out of nursing homes for several years now, but have made Park Manor their home for nearly 2 years now. When I think about Thanksgiving, I have so many fond memories of dinners at their house & running around with my cousins. Their home of 40+ years was sold to cover their medical costs & now they share a tiny room together as their now home. I try to come visit them several times a month to bring them fresh fruit & other groceries, as it is just around the corner from my office. So many things about this room bring emotions- the window that my grandpa stares out all day long watching people & struggling to remember basic people and places, their many photos of family & great-grandchildren, the few momentos from their home- the old painting & the clock are familiar reminders to me, the card table chairs that were so frequently out on game nights, the Christmas decorations already up, the tiny TV they watch all day for the soaps & hoping for a baseball game.
Today I am so thankful for them & for the difference they made in my life. Although I was able to spend 3 decades with them in my life, it’s going to be hard to imagine life without my grandparents around. They are still doing really well, all things considered. My grandma’s cancer is not going as well as the doctor’s would like & my grandpa’s memory has deteriorated rapidly in the last year. I’ll treasure the time we do get to spend together & be forever grateful for all the wonderful memories I have with them.
A nursing home is a very tough place to be- to visit or to live. Where they are at is nicer than many they have been & we’re thankful that they have such wonderful people taking care of them.
Seemed like an appropriate place to put this, but we cruised by my great grandpa’s house in Brenham a few weeks ago when we went to visit the wineries. While he was still alive, we spent many family holidays here, including many Thanksgivings from my childhood.
It’s funny & amazing how a place can hold so many memories & so much history. My dad spent a great deal of his childhood here, I spent lots of family gatherings outside playing in the backyard, on the front porch or in the adjacent empty lot.
Hope where ever you are today, who ever you are with, that you are making joyful memories & celebrating Thanksgiving with loved ones!
GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Another holiday with the moms (and enough food for an army) at our house.
