My beautiful, wonderful grandmother was, in the end, in a cancer existence. The illness was eating her inside. She lost her ability to speak to others, to walk, to hold up her body, to chew food. Being so helpless, she was graced with caretakers who were kind, hardworking, and loving. Relatives visited her often. She did the best she could to still be a loving person. I watched my mom sit near her bed and hold her hand. My grandmother swung their hands together. She smiled, and smiled, and smiled.
Who would want to smile in her situation? She smiled to be encouraging to her visitors. She smiled, too, because she saw how devoted her children and grandchildren were. She was not alone.
My grandmother had a lot of alone in her life. A war-orphaned child, sent to a strange land, she had to endure a lot. Why is it that despite her hard life she smiled, and laughed, and courageously faced her challenges? I see many people who face less and complain constantly. My beautiful grandmother chose to give life her all and not waste it in self-pity. Her legacy speaks for itself. She smiled until she simply could not anymore.
Now she is with God, and I hope her parents are happy to embrace her once again. Their souls are reunited, and I am happy that they are.
Rest in peace, my lovely Oma. I love you.
Ido Kedar is 16 years old with non-verbal autism. He is the author of ‘Ido In Autismland.’ www.idoinautismland.blogspot.com
