Farewell

This morning my Nanny passed away.

My Dad's mother. She had been slowly fading for many months now. She was 88.

Nanny was one of the most amazing women I've known. Always active and of very strong character. She loved painting. making jewellery, any craft really. She loved her monthly outing with the pensioner club to the casino to play the pokie machines. And she had the best sense of humor.

And we both had an almost obsessive fondness for prawns. I'm sad that we didn't get to take our latest trip out for lunch to eat prawns together as we had been talking about. Although in my heart of hearts, I knew she would never be well enough for that to actually happen again.

I want to cry.

But also, I don't.

To me death is a sad thing, yes, but also it is part of life. Her suffering is now ended. Her body pained her. Her tiredness was overwhelming her.

Only a few weeks ago she had told me she was ready to go.

Followed by a cheeky comment about the muscly workmen she could see out of her hospital window.

I believe in some way our energies are never truly gone. We will always be a part of this earth. Nanny will always be with me, same as my beloved Grandpop and Grandma who have passed on, are also.

My late Grandpop wrote the following poem, and at times like this I take great comfort from his wise words.


Love & Friendship Never Dies

For whom do we weep when a friend passes on?
Do we cry for ourselves, or the one who has gone?

If the good book is right, then now is the time
when he has just entered a much sunnier climb.

So the tears we cry are not for our friend
but for ourselves, still awaiting the same end.

We should thank God that we were able to share
so much time with that person now sleeping up there.

So dry up those tears, get it off of your chest
and think of the good times spent with the friend now at rest.

For he will remain with us in so many ways,
his memory will live on for the rest of your days.

So get on with your living, for you'll find every day
that he's still part of your life in a mysterious way.

The odd spoken word, or the sound of a song,
will trigger that memory your whole life long.

Your life was happy when you were able to share
and will be again, when you meet him up there.

------------------------------------------------

Farewell Nanny.