These images were taken after I moved my grandmother into an assisted living nursing home, widely recognized as the best in our community. My grandmother had developed a troubling pattern of falling every three months, often without any recollection of how or why it occurred.
After careful consideration, we decided that assisted living at a nursing home would provide the best care and supervision for her.
Since I moved away from Wisconsin in 1989, I maintained regular contact with my grandparents, calling them every other weekend. Even when I started traveling the world, I continued to stay in touch with them through Skype; I still have about $13 credit left on my Skype account. Upon returning to Wisconsin, I made it a point to visit my grandparents at least every weekend, if not every other.
The most challenging aspect now is that I can no longer call her and have a conversation. It's a loss that weighs heavily on my heart.
My grandparents played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today. With the loss of my grandmother, I feel like I've lost the last piece of my family—a profound sense of solitude now lingers. It will undoubtedly take time to come to terms with her passing.
The aftermath of death is undeniably tough. Just one hour after her passing, my phone began ringing, thrusting me into the immediate responsibilities that come with handling the logistics of death. There was no moment to grieve.
My grandmother was always stoic, keeping her emotions close to her chest. Even when in pain, she would suffer silently, internalizing her struggles.
In the ICU, she screamed in agony, the result of injuries caused by negligence at the hands of the very place we entrusted to keep her safe. This level of pain was never supposed to become a reality.
I’m still and always will process this great loss.
This is your captain, Mister Moyer speaking; apologies for the turbulence. Please stow your trays in the upright position, as the no-smoking sign has been activated. I assure you, we'll resume our story shortly, and we'll be landing in California in the next post. Thank you for your patience and for flying wingnut airlines.
Light and Love.