The Loss of a Beloved Grandmother

Losing someone is like being homesick, for a home that no longer exists. Its surprising how easily we can take life for granted. One minute youre making plans, going out and visiting each other, then the next minute one of you is gone with the click of a switch. You never think about it until youre faced with this shocking revelation. One of the saddest and most memorable times in my life was the time when I watched my gran pass away.

When I was young, during the summer my family and I would always go to Norway. It was our favourite place to visit and also because my gran lived there. Norway was very different from Scotland because a lot of people spoke Norwegian but also it had a lot of amazing monuments. My grans house was gigantic and traditional. I loved it because it was different. I had never seen anything like it in Scotland. I enjoyed our time there most as I loved spending time with my gran.

We spent a lot of time together and developed a very close relationship. She was someone I could talk to about anything.

It was midsummer of 2012 in Scotland and it was warm outside. I had been playing outside until I was called inside by my mum. She looked a little worried and I immediately asked her what was wrong. She explained that my gran wasnt feeling well and that she was in hospital and that we had to go see her.

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My mum had booked the tickets for the whole family to go to Norway. We always had a good time whenever we went to visit however I knew this time was going to be different. A few days later we left Scotland.

When we got to Norway it was cold even though it was summer, it was a good thing I brought my jacket! A while after we got to the airport I spotted my aunty and uncle waiting to collect us. I ran up to them and gave a hug but they didnt seem as happy as usual. I knew for certain then that something wasnt right and then I started to feel worried. I wondered if my gran was ok?

We got into the car and drove straight to the hospital. When we arrived the hospital was huge and we kept getting lost trying to find the room. When we finally found the room we quietly went in. I saw my gran lying there as if she hadnt eaten for days. I ambled over to her and stuttered How are you feeling? Her breathing came in ragged gasps as her hands trembled out to give me a hug. I remembered I had made her a get well soon card and was going to get it out my mums purse. As I was looking for it I heard my aunty gasp and I quickly turned round and everyone was in shocked disbelief. My mum had tears streaming down her cheeks. I realised my gran had died. I felt stiff, I couldnt move. Then a cold shiver went through me. I didnt want to believe it and I kept telling myself Its just a mistake. To my horror I was wrong.

This was a very hard time for me as I had never experienced the loss of a family member who was really close to me. I continually cried as I tried to get over the fact that she wasnt alive. It was very upsetting. I felt as if I was alone and there was nobody. Seeing how my mum dealt with the death of her mother made me understand fully that everything would be alright. Instead of thinking that she’s gone my mum would just remember all the good times they had while she was alive. She would go through old photos and be thankful for the time she had spent with her and then move on and think about the life ahead of her. But it was still a hard time for her as her dad had already passed away when she was only 15. Sadly my mum was left with no parents.

Like my mother, I tried to focus on my positive memories of my time with my gran. My gran and I were very close but we didn’t get to see her often because she didn’t live very close. When we did go to Norway in the summer to visit her she would always tell me stories of her childhood. I loved hearing about when she was small as it was very different from my childhood. She would take us to see cool places we had never seen before such as Troms and the Northern lights. She also taught me how to bake which I am so grateful for. My favourite thing to bake is brownies as they remind me of her. My gran was also very hardworking as she owned a small shop that she ran. She used to sell sweets, drinks and a variety of different foods. Whenever we went to Norway she would always let me help out at the till. This was an advantage as it’s a really good skill to know for the future in terms of dealing with customers.

One of most memorable memories with my gran was when we went on holiday to Morocco with her. We went in the summer of 2010. We were staying in a 5 star hotel and the best part was I got to share a room with my gran and my sister. On the second day we were there, my gran surprised us by taking us all camel riding. The sweat was dripping from my head that day. We all were given a camel to ride and I got to go on with my gran because I wasn’t old enough to go on myself. We had a great time and that was so far my favourite holiday.

When one of your grandparents dies it feels like a big part of your life is missing. When you are younger you organise your whole life with them. You share your aspirations, insecurities and most of all your love with them. They teach you life lessons and believe in your dreams and tell you they love you, therefore they are painfully missed, but not forgotten.