A Matter of Time

My grandmother and Allison just a few hours after she was born.

My grandmother with Lauren and Allison.

My grandmother, Mom , Dad, me, Lauren and Allison on Mother's Day 2008.


My sweet grandmother (Dad's Mom) is 92 years old and has been living with my parents for the past 3 years. I admire the way my parents have sacrificed these years to provide the quality of care and love that has kept her living to this day. She has been wheel chair bound since before moving in with them, requiring assistance in just about every thing she does. To see my Dad get her breakfast in the mornings, comb her hair, clean up her hospital bed, and the many other acts of love he has shown has been something I'll never forget. If you know my dad, you'll know that I often wondered if he could possibly live and take care of himself without my Mom (he doesn't cook, doesn't do laundry, doesn't clean house....or should I say he didn't before my grandmother moved in). But now I do not worry about that so much because not only has he taken care of himself, he has also taken great care of his Mom. When Allison was born, she made her way into the world via emergency C-section and I needed a lot of help taking care of a newborn as well as Lauren who was 2. My wonderful mother spent many weeks here in Knoxville helping me adjust to mothering 2 children instead of just one. And Dad took care of himself and his Mom for those weeks when Mom was here. I look back and feel a bit guilty for asking Mom to come down here to help me out, leaving Dad at home to take care of my grandmother alone. Dad always says yes anytime I ask Mom to come down. Yesterday Mom and Dad had to move my grandmother into the hospice house. She is not eating and is not very responsive at this point. This morning Dad said he doesn't think she'll last much longer. I pray that she lasts until tomorrow because I want to take the girls up to see her one more time. Some of my favorite pictures of the girls are where they are playing on my parent's porch and you can see my grandmother sitting inside the door watching the girls play.