It Takes Some Off and It Takes Some On

There is a title song in a musical written by Lex de Azevedo about life on Earth. The words go "The world turns round like a merry go round. It lets some off and it takes some on."

Life is like that. Births and deaths.

Jacob was born on the 30th of March. Grandpa Weight, my Mom's father, passed away the next day. Grandma Brown, my Dad's mother, has been extremely ill for several weeks now and was fading fast.

Just tonight my parents called with the news. Grandma was gone.

Birth and death.

Some come. Some go home.

Grandpa Weight was a tall, hard-working farmer. He worked on his farm for a good part of the time up through last summer. He turned 95 in January! Since he and Grandma had always lived in Montana or Utah, we didn't see them as much. Besides that, he had a stern manner that made it hard for me to get to know him. During my years living in Utah, I made efforts to get to know him and Grandma better. But I feel I made much more progress with Grandma Weight in that regard.

And now he's moved on. I miss him but not in a "my heart aches for him" sort of way. I love the heritage of strength he left, for the large family of rowdy and fun aunts, uncles, and cousins, and for the example of hard work and "never give up" attitude he always showed.

Now Grandma Brown I was much closer to. Not having any cousins who lived anywhere nearby, we spent a lot of time with Grandpa and Grandma Brown. And with Noni, Grandma's Sicilian mother, with Dad's sister Janet, our practically-aunt Shauna, and with Grandma's sisters.

Grandma was an amazing cook. She didn't like to follow recipes and rarely made the same thing the same way twice. But it was always delicious. She was a meticulous housekeeper. Never saw dust around her house. She collected baby dolls which she would name after her grandchildren and took great care of them. She made beautiful Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. I treasure the one she made for Esther. She loved giving things away. You never said you liked something because inevitably you'd end up bringing it home! She was the one who introduced me to the Anne of Green Gables series.

Up until she got really sick, she mowed her own lawn, raked her leaves, weeded, took out the trash, swept the walk (and the road), scrubbed the house, shoveled her snow, etc. She never seemed to stop moving. And then always wondered why she was so tired.

Over the last several years, she and I began writing letters back and forth. I treasure them. I asked her loads of questions about her life and began putting her life history together. I loved getting to know her as Rose and not just Grandma.

Ever since Grandpa got sick, we noticed she was developing signs of Alzheimer's. It got worse as Grandpa did. And just within the last couple of months, they discovered she had an aggressive form of lymphoma. Rather than treat it, she and her children decided to let it run its course. She was in a lot of pain the last little while. And frustrated she was unable to do what she wanted. And struggling to remember and to understand what was happening to her. It was a blessing she didn't linger a long time.

Right now she is reuniting with Grandpa Brown, with her mother and father, and her siblings who went before. We miss her dearly but it was time for her to go home.

So we welcome Jacob into life and release two into death. Their turns on this merry go round of life have come to an end. I have a firm belief that we will see them again, that we will be reunited one day in Heaven - made possible by our Savior Jesus Christ. For that knowledge I am so grateful!

Jacob is fussing now so I'll need to see to his needs. I think I'll tell him some stories of his great grandparents....