My Nana

This blog post is earlier than my usual ones, and will be much shorter. Yesterday my sweet Nana passed away, and tomorrow I leave early in the morning on a bus to Salt Lake City. From there I will fly home to California to be with my family and help prepare for Nana's funeral. I won't be bringing my laptop with me, so that is why I'm posting now.

I'm very sad, as most people are, to lose a grandparent. But I'm so glad that Nana is no longer suffering, since these past months have been especially hard on her. Since Jake and I got married, she's been in the hospital 2-3 times a month, staying as long as a week, or at least overnight. She recently had surgery, and had not been doing well. We were all very worried for her, and now that she has passed on we know that she's no longer in pain. Because of my family's knowledge of life after death and how families can be eternal, I don't have to feel as hopeless or discouraged as others might after losing a loved one--I know that I'll see Nana again, and that she'll be watching over me for the rest of my life here on earth.

I'm so grateful that the last memory I have with Nana is a pleasant one. The last time I saw her was at our wedding reception. As we were leaving the reception, surrounded by our friends and family with music blasting and people cheering, I bent down to kiss Nana on the cheek and said "Goodbye, Nana!" She smiled and laughed through happy tears as we walked past the rest of our friends and family to our car. I've thought back on that little memory the past few days, and it's given me so much comfort. I know this goodbye isn't forever.