Monday, July 16, 2007
Good-bye MaMaw :(
This may seem a little dated, but to me, it is always in my heart.
From left: my daughter, me, my niece, and MaMaw (my dad's mother)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lois Brazan Durocher
Born: December 24, 1916
Died: June 23, 2007
Born: December 24, 1916
Died: June 23, 2007
From left: my daughter, me, my niece, and MaMaw (my dad's mother)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was not until, as with every funeral I have had to attend in the last few years, that I was there, at the viewing, that it really hit me. My grandmother, MaMaw, had passed. She had been sick. Had what they call "geriatric leukemia." As my wife put it (being the RN she is), "Geriatric leukemia is a term used by doctors that really means you're old and your blood is not replicating like it should. It is similar to leukemia in nature, but occurs for a different reason."
Whether she was right or not, I am not going to argue it. My MaMaw had lived a long, fulfilled life. She had been sick, not only with "geriatric leukemia," but arthritis. Face it, she was old. She had bore 5 children and had seen 11 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren (give or take a few, who is really counting?). She had lived through the great depression, 6 or so wars, quite a few hurricanes, and a genuine, but ornery husband, yet in all that time, she still managed to smile.
Each of the family members can tell you different things about her: how great her cooking was, how she was dedicated to attending mass just about everyday (as long as I could remember), she took care of her children. Stories of joy and sorrow.
One thing is for certain, she has touched many lives and she will be missed for years to come.
Whether she was right or not, I am not going to argue it. My MaMaw had lived a long, fulfilled life. She had been sick, not only with "geriatric leukemia," but arthritis. Face it, she was old. She had bore 5 children and had seen 11 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren (give or take a few, who is really counting?). She had lived through the great depression, 6 or so wars, quite a few hurricanes, and a genuine, but ornery husband, yet in all that time, she still managed to smile.
Each of the family members can tell you different things about her: how great her cooking was, how she was dedicated to attending mass just about everyday (as long as I could remember), she took care of her children. Stories of joy and sorrow.
One thing is for certain, she has touched many lives and she will be missed for years to come.
Labels: death and life
3 Comments:
JD, my prayers are with you and your family during this time of mourning. And from your post, I take it that it is also a time of celebration of her life.
Thanks, John.
Oh yea! I have not ever been to a funeral in Louisiana where it was not also a celebration of the life that touched so many others. My uncle passed in the late 90's from liver failure. He was younger, so there was more sadness, but his life was celebrated after the internment.
PAX
JD
JD - please accept my condolences on the passing of your "MaMaw" She looks like she was an awesome granmother!
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