"GG" Grandma Ann (Grandma Gobeille) passing

Grandma Gobeille, or "Grandma Ann" as my kids know her, passed through this life and entered heaven's gates on the afternoon of Saturday, January 7, 2017.  Janet & Joyce were by her side.

Here she is looking good on her last birthday.

Grandma had been in a lot of pain in the last year, esp last months, so we are glad she is
at peace now.  Grandma had many hospital visits/stays in the last months.  During her last week, she was at the hospital with some sort of infection.   She didn't eat for several days and was not always aware of her surroundings in the hospital, thinking she was at home, or a "costume party" when joked about our yellow gowns.  We came on Wednesday and had to wear yellow gowns and masks to protect ourselves... the doctor said Marissa was the smallest person he ever saw wearing the gown (which we had to adapt to fit her).

The girls have been so happy to go visit GG this last year.  I am so glad we were able to make time for their relationship to her.  We would play cards with her, or read, or play flute for her, and frequently have a cookie or treat grandma had saved.  We tried to be very honest about aging, death, and heaven.

After her death, Marissa (age 4) would randomly announce, just to let us know, "grandma is dead."  Since we got GG's patio bench swing when she moved out of independent living, the girls sat in it in our yard, and looked up to the sky and "talked to grandma."  I'm not really sure what they talked about, but I am proud mama to think that they feel aware and connected enough to think that way.

Piper was a little confused when she got a birthday card a week later from GG, stopping before opening it to check with me "but she's dead."  I explained she could open it because she had already prepared it before she died.

The funeral was held January 26 at Good Samaritan's chapel.  We helped with music.  Stacy, Addisyn, Piper, and I sang "Irish (Italian) Blessing" as prelude, with Piper playing a short introduction on the keyboard.  The rest of the service was Papa Dave & Aunt Stacy singing, Karen on flute, and Frances on keyboard.  Dad/Papa Dave created the Mass program.  Mom/Grma Joyce did a good job on organizing RSVP's and hosting a desert reception. As I was planning the dinner gathering for extending family at our home afterwards, I was thinking how nice it would be to have so many of us together...  It’s not just about remembering grandma and supporting the other family members, it is about everybody helping each other remember the blessings grandma has given us and how we can share her blessing—that's gratitude in action.  We did enjoy time with family and cousins.  I ordered too much food and ended up eating lasagna for a very long time!

A few us were also able to be at the cemetery internment.  Didi performed the ceremony and told a story of the butterfly.  The main idea was change in life.  Grandma is in the next phase of life and even though we don't see her now, she is probably at the best place!

I was tested in helping Marissa make sense of it all while at the cemetery.  I told her Grandma's in heaven now...she doesn't need her body anymore...she's in heaven with Lily, and Beta, and Grandma Grace....  "Wait, is this heaven?" -Marissa

Even though we were ready to accept this step in Grandma's life, it was still painful emotionally.  I kept spinning everything around me to make philosophical sense of the meaning of life and making sense of life, death, and God.

Life's mystery continues.