On April 5th my grandma joined my grandpa in heaven. This was heart-wrenching and merciful. Painful and relieving. Sad and joyful. Bittersweet.
Just a few weeks prior, my grandma had fallen and hit her head which landed her in the hospital. This was the beginning of test after test, each one revealing more bad news. After much pain and suffering, all she longed for was to go home. The Lord heard her prayer and answered. She is free.
I was thankful for the chance to fly to Las Vegas for the funeral service. I was even more thankful that my four other siblings were able to be there as well. The five of us hadn’t been together in four years and coordinating all of our schedules is always an obstacle. We were able to spend a total of 18 hours together and we made the most of it.
What a gift it was to be with all my cousins who I became reacquainted with at my grandma’s 80th birthday party last year and support my mom in such a difficult time. An unexpected gift was learning new things about my grandma through different people who shared at her service. Mary Coyle was a woman who had seen a lot, lived through much, loved red lipstick, and spent her last years praying for others. I’m grateful her suffering is over.
 |
| Grandpa, Grandma and me. 1977 |
 |
| All the ladies wearing red lipstick, in honor of Grandma |
