Tuesday, August 30, 2011

A Great Loss & Strange Turn of Events

My maternal grandmother passed away in 1997. August 23rd would have been her birthday. This year on August 23rd I posted on Twitter "Today would have been grandma Zhenya's birthday... You are in my thoughts and in my heart always! RIP."

The next day I received a phone call letting me know that my paternal grandmother (who just turned 86 on August 1st) was found dead in her bed; she had died in her sleep. This news greatly shocked me. No one expected this to happen so soon.

Knowing that my paternal grandmother was no longer with us left me in an emotional turmoil. I couldn't believe she was gone. It felt surreal, especially since I felt her presence around me the whole time - at the funeral home, at the cemetery, and at the dinner later.

As I stood in the cemetery watching my paternal grandmother's casket being lowered into the ground, my eyes looked to the right and I noticed that I was standing next to my maternal grandfather's grave. He had passed away in December of 2010 and was buried in the same cemetery. This made it even harder for me, even more emotional. I also felt strange and slightly freaked out.

Why was this happening?  First, I paid respect to my maternal grandmother on Twitter on the 23rd and the next day my paternal grandmother turned up dead. Then, as my paternal grandmother was getting buried I noticed that I was standing next to my deceased maternal grandfather's grave. Was it merely a coincidence? Or what is something else entirely? Whatever the case, whatever the explanation, it freaked me out a bit.

Three grandparents are no longer with us. They will always be in my thoughts and in my heart. One grandparent still remains among us - my paternal grandfather. I hope he lives to be over 100 years old. Also, I hope there won't be any more funerals to attend any time soon. Two funerals in less than a year is plenty.


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