My granddad died last night

So I have one more angel watching over me now. It's so hard. In 1996 I lost my two grandmothers 6 months apart. In 1999 I lost one granddad and then my dad a month apart. Two months later I lost my great grandmother. Then last September I lost my second child at not quite 12 weeks. And now Granddaddy Calvin.



Granddaddy Calvin at his last birthday July 1st 2004


Calvin was my dad's dad so atleast now I know he is in good company with my dad and my grandma and my baby that I lost. I got the call last night. My cousin was hysterical. I couldn't even understand what she was saying to begin with. Then it dawned on me what was going on. I said " Do you need me? " She continued to sob and said " I don't know " I told her I would be there as fast as I could. And I was there as soon as I could be. I drove like a bat out of hell to get there. Traffic was horrible. A normal hour drive took an hour and 15 minutes.

When I got there I realized the funeral home's hearse was blocking the drive (along with all the vehicles of my aunt, uncle and many cousins). I  parked 2 houses down at my great aunt's and ran across her yard, my cousin Virgil's yard and field and raced to granddaddy's house. I was so scared that they would have already taken him by the time I got there. I got there just in time. Had I been 5 minutes later I would have missed them probably. My cousin Pam saw my face and stopped the people from the funeral home and said that I needed some time with him. I said my goodbyes, cried and patted his hand and rubbed his arm. He didn't look like my grandfather any more.

My cousin Tina who lived with granddaddy and will now be renting the house was scared to stay there by herself after they took granddaddy away and all the aunts, uncles and cousins all went home so I spent the night with her. We were all stressed out so we relived a tradition from our past. Whenever we were upset about something we would spend the night over and one another's house and we would bake. Cupcakes, muffins, cakes or cookies  .. you name it we baked it. So last night we went to the grocery store and got cake mix and icing and made and decorated cupcakes and then watched (okay half watched because we ended up crashing about 2am) Along Came Polly. Which the part I saw was really funny.

This morning I had to get up early, drive home, order flowers (I ordered an arrangement that me, my mom, and my brother went in on .. a beautiful bible made with mums with red roses accented. My granddad loved roses) and then got ready and headed straight to work. I worked 7 hours then came home. I am sooo exhausted.

Tomorrow is the family visitation (or wake whatever you want to call it). I will spend the night at my mom's that way I don't have to drive all the way back home and then get up bright and early and drive back on Monday for the funeral.

Please keep us all in your prayers if you pray. It's going to be another couple of stressful days for us all.