Goodbye Aunt Jo!

4 months.  On April 18.  4 months to the day that my Great Grandmother passed away I lost another important woman in my life.  My Great Aunt Joanne.  Needless to say, I am extremely devastated.  I am still working on getting over my Gram's passing, and now God decided to add another death?  For what?!?!  I was talking to my Grandma Monday night and she told me that each death makes us stronger.   Well, how long does that take?  Because I do not feel stronger.  Only weaker and more vulnerable.  I feel like crawling into my own little hole and staying there...forever.  Her 74th birthday would have been yesterday.  It just amazes me of how quick everything happened.  Her disease took over full force.  I know that her last couple years were probably not very good for her.  She was diagnosed with dementia and slowly and steadily started losing her memory, mostly short term.  The family had to move her into a memory care unit and my grandparents took the role of parents to her dog Charlie.  I can't even imagine what it would feel like to realize that you are, in fact, losing your mind.  The disease would sometimes make her hateful too.  She was never aggressive but, would get into that type of mood at random times.  There were always good days and bad days, and we always cherished the good.  Then, I would have to say about two weeks ago, she started to not be able to swallow her food as well.  As it progressed, she ended up not being able to eat at all and she was bed ridden by Saturday, 4/16.  I worked 11-8 on Sunday and my mom showed up with tears in her eyes.  I went and found my Manager and asked her if I could leave for a few hours and Mom and I went to visit Aunt Jo.  The next evening at 8:50 she was gone.  This Saturday I am forced to say goodbye to one of the sweetest, funniest women I have ever known. I am so blessed to have had her in my life for my 23 years of life.  She's no longer suffering and that is a relief, but it doesn't mean that it's not hard.   


Aunt Jo, Mom, and Jo's brother/my Grandpa