Sweet Release

I don't remember when I started believing that when a person died they got to "put on" the sunset that night for their own friends and family. Well, Thank you Grandma, for a beautiful sunset tonight...

And thank you all SO much for your prayers and lit candles. I was overwhelmed by your emails and calls. She soared up into the sky at 2:25 this afternoon. It was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined.

I've been feeling her spirit visiting me in my sleep, and each time I've visited her in the last few days she hasn't been responding to anything I've said so I knew it was only that silver cord that was keeping her bound to earth. I knew the cord would be broken very soon...

I crawled into bed with her around noon today and sang to her for awhile. I kept singing while I braided her hair and washed her face and hands. Family started arriving shortly after 1:30, I think. First her daughter came, then some of her grandchildren. I encouraged them all to say a private good-bye to their Grandma, and asked them to sing a hymn to her. The first lot chose #8 and I remembered it from my youth so we all sang heartily along. The last grandaughter to arrive was feeling fear being in the room alone with her as she said her good-bye, so she asked me to join her. I was relieved to be asked back into the room because I was feeling panicy that the cord was about to be broken. J and I did some energy work on Grandma's body and I felt her body go dark. I started singing "Take My Hand Precious Lord" (which I'd been singing to her over and over for a few days at this point) and J joined in. Then Jill and Mary Lou heard us singing and came back into the room and joined in for the last two verses. It was so beautiful. We were sitting around Grandma's bed, holding her hands and her feet and caressing her face. I decided to share the vision I'd had this morning about her funeral. There are some very strong personalities in Grandma's family, and it looked like it was going to be difficult to meet everyone's needs peacefully. I said I thought that we each had to make sure our needs were met in our own grieving, but the spirit in which we planned this next week needed to be done in a way that would be a tribute to Grandma. Grandma had the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. It was xceptionally rare that she ever judged anyone, and she just seemed to have room in her big heart for everyone. She had a terrible time with conflicts within her family, and I hoped that we'd be able to get through this next week without conflict. We all agreed, and then Grandma yawned! And then she opened her eyes! And then she yawned again and closed her mouth! And then she was gone...

It was one of the most beautiful moments I've been blessed to be part of.

Good-Bye My DEAR SWEET GRANDMA. I'll never forget you. I'll try my best to keep your beautiful spirit alive in me. I'll do all I can to keep the peace this next week. I'll love you forever. Thank you for being so much to me. Good-bye.