Who gets to have this?

I am amazed and awed that I still have my Grandma with me. Who gets to visit with their Grandma and talk to their grandson on his fifth birthday?
The photos I brought to her were of her great great grand daughter. We counted together. We were both in awe.

Who gets this?

Here's how my weekend went with Grandma Ethel. I arrived late, keeping her up way past her bedtime. It was 9 p.m.
I told her I was going to call before I left, which I did. But, since she expected me earlier, she told me she called home a few times worried because she hadn't heard.
She doesn't like me traveling in winter, she worries about me you know. "You haven't left yet? It's so late." But, when I said I would be fine and make it in by about 9, she says, "ok, drive safe, but hurry."

She usually is in bed by 7:30, not because she is tired, but she's bored. She doesn't like watching TV and doesn't like going out into the halls after dinner. There's no one to talk to, no one to come to visit. So, there isn't much left but bed.
She just had her hair done that morning, so she wraps her head in sheets of paper to hold the curl longer. She brushes her teeth and leaves them in the glass on the bathroom set. Both uppers and lowers. I became used to this as both my Grandpa and Grandma had false teeth for as long as I could remember. I would awake as a child to go to the bathroom and two sets of teeth would be in separate glasses at the sink. It was normal to me.

Grandma and I really love each other. Since Grandpa died we became close. It was three years ago around this time Grandpa Norm and Gina were in Arizona. Grandpa had been in the hospital and needed to go to an assisted living. He was dying of brain cancer. He wasn't himself, had no hope of recovery and there were no assisted livings nearby to take him. They were all full. There was one near St. Cloud and the medical transport would bring him. The guy was an idiot, got lost and drove an already confused sickly man around for two hours unable to follow the simplest directions to the home. He was fired later. Grandpa was agitated and angry, scared and confused. He wasn't himself. He kept saying he knew what they were doing. They all wanted his money. He turned on me and kicked me out of the room accusing me of being in on it. Trying to kill him. He tried to convince Grandma to help him get away. Everyone wanted his money and were trying to kill him. He would take his medicine, he thought it was poison. He fought with the nurse until finally they restrained hinm and gave him something to calm him down. All the while cursing me accusing me finally throwing me out of the room. Grandma cried and said he doesn't mean it. He's sick. I knew it and left anyway as I was agitating him. It was a week before Christmas. I was there for them both when he died. In the room, I talked him into heaven, convincing him to let go. We'd take care of Grandma I promised. Don't be afraid, just let go. Gina, Norm's girlfriend then, wife now, prayed with him a week before. He asked for forgiveness and asked Jesus into his heart. I saw Grandap sit up in bed, the fighting stopped. He took his last breath, opened his eyes and died.

After Grandpa died, Grandma spent the winter in an assisted livng that Grandpa Norm owned. I would go to the assisted living every day for lunch. Not because I was a good Samaritan, but because I was really enjoying her company. We would play cards or I would do a puzzle, which she hated really, but she humored me and let me pretend to find all the pieces that fit.

That's when I got to know Grandma. I sat and listened as she cried. She missed Grandpa. She wanted to die too. Why can't I just fall asleep and die. We talked about much of nothing. We still talk about nothing. We like the food channel, we watch people cook. We play Phase 10. She can beat me often. She fried me wallet in her teflon pan and boiled potatoes. We ate for free at the cafeteria off her Bingo winnings.

She gets lonely. She sits in her recliner surrounded by pictures of grandkids and great grandkids. She gets so bored and lonely she sits in the lobby to just watch people. If no one is there to visit, she just watches people. She doesn't like to go out much, things move too fast. She gets daily calls from Ron, Norm and Cody.
She lives for a phone call, does laundry to keep busy and reads the daily paper. She goes to chapel on Thursday and takes her pills religiously.
She likes to have me sleep in bed with her. I do as her place is small anyway. The next morning she apologized for her thin and tattered night gown. When I went shopping later the next day, I found a replacement nightgown. It was knit instead of cotten, sleeveless like she liked with pink flowers and lace.

She loved it. She came out after getting ready for bed, almost twirling,... "See how pretty I look," she said. It fit her perfectly, pink little flowers and A line cut.
She's a lovely woman my Grandma Ethel. I never hear a sour word come out of her mouth. She's grateful and kind. She would love a letter from someone, anyone.
Who after all gets to have a Grandma, even a Great Grandmother, let alone and Great Great Grandmother so long into life?

I guess I do. Thank you Jesus.