Grandma Long, An Angel Sent from Heaven

The best of the rest
You knew this life was a test
We were so blessed,
With a real angel abreast.
You taught us love,
Taught that we came from above,
Children of God,
And now you’re with Him,
A soaring dove.
Can’t believe you’re gone,
The godlike woman who lived the Gospel of the Lord,
Now obtaining her reward,
Always and forever to be adored.
But still we here shed these tears,
Remembering all of those years,
And the way you wiped away all of our fears.
Your memory shall be everlasting,
As this world keeps on branching,
And when we’re drowning in our sorrows,
Your beautiful teachings we shall follow.
So, as the days go by,
We will look up at the sky,
And know that at long last you can spread your wings and fly.



Monday, March 23, 2009 started out like any other day. Yes, it was a Monday and it didn’t help that I was eagerly anticipating the weekend—I’d be going to visit my Grandma—but I tried to remind myself that with each passing day I’d be closer to my visit with Grandma.
When I got home from school that day I fixed myself something to eat when suddenly the phone rang. We were informed that Grandma had collapsed and was being rushed to the Payson Hospital. I didn’t know what was happening. The world just stopped spinning. I could hear my heart breaking. Immediately, my Mom and I started praying. But, for some reason, I couldn’t stop crying. I was pretty much sobbing. My Mom tried comforting me and we reminded each other that we had to stay positive—Grandma was still alive after all.
We immediately rushed to Payson from Lehi, which is about 30 or so miles away. The drive seemed to drag on and on. 30 miles felt more like 100. So many thoughts were filling my head. All I really wanted to do, though, was to immediately embrace my Grandma and tell her how much I love her.

When we finally arrived at the hospital we rushed in as fast as we could. One of the nurses soon took us back to Grandma’s room. I couldn’t wait to see her. As we opened Grandma’s door, though, we were hit with sobs and tears. My heart shattered. My best friend, my Grandma, hadn’t made it.
It didn’t seem possible. I was so sure she had made it. I could feel her presence. It felt like she was still there, just merely resting. It wasn’t long before I broke down in sobs. It suddenly hit me—I would never get to spend the weekend with Grandma again. She was gone. Why didn’t I just spend the weekend prior to her death with her? I was supposed to. But I rescheduled. Why?! Why didn’t I just spend it with her?
Slowly, I held my beautiful Grandma’s hand. It was still warm. She wasn’t supposed to die. She was supposed to live a long, long time—at least a 101 years. How could God take her away from me?
Now, before I go any further I’d like to take you back to what caused my Grandma’s death. After a doctors visit one day, Grandma learned that she had an aortic aneurism. The doctors soon put a time stamp on her and told her that when it burst she would instantly pass away. This news, of course, devastated Grandma. We, however, were determined to keep her positive and remind her that no one but God could give our lives a time stamp. We just wanted her to stay positive because we knew that positivity could keep her alive a lot longer.
Grandma, however, kept telling us that she felt that Christmas of 2008 would be the last Christmas she’d ever have with us on this earth. So, with that sentiment in her heart she bought everyone in our family presents—we have a huge family, by the way. This didn’t matter to her. She just wanted everyone to be happy, to get everything that they wanted. Everyone certainly got wonderful gifts from her and she took pleasure in seeing and hearing that people enjoyed what she had bought them.
My mind now flashes to the weekend of the 13th of March 2009, the last time I saw my Grandma. We had so much fun. We talked about various things and she eagerly talked to me about my then-girlfriend, Abish. She had bought us promise rings that I’d given to Abish on Valentine’s Day of that year. She was a huge supporter of our relationship. We talked about so many things. We did so many things—and yet I still feel like I never really appreciated the time I had with her. I didn’t cherish it enough.
During my visit we soon decided to watch a movie, The Bucket List. Isn’t that ironic? For those of you who don’t know what this movie is about it stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson and it’s about two older men who are about to die and how they decide to make a bucket list, things they want to do before they kick the bucket. It’s a great film and I recommend it. But a part of me can’t help but wonder if maybe this was Grandma’s subtle clue to me that she didn’t have long to live—I wholeheartedly believe that she knew that her time here on earth was nearly over, she may not have known the exact date she’d pass over, but she knew that it was coming soon.
When I left that weekend, Grandma begged me to stay longer. She wanted more time with me. She told me that she’d miss me so much. I told her, though, that I’d be back next weekend. Reluctantly, she soon agreed that that’d be good. She was so excited to have me comeback. We soon kissed and hugged…and I left. I didn’t come over the next weekend because of a reason I will not write. But I promised that I’d come over the weekend after that—needless to say, that weekend never came and never will.
Now, let’s go back to Payson Hospital where sobs and tears are abundant, where a young man lost his last grandparent. Suddenly, I could see how important family truly is for people. My Grandma, the matriarch of the family, wanted us all to see how important togetherness was and how we should never forget what matters the most—each other. Her message was love. Her life was love.
As I sat there, staring at my Grandma and still feeling her presence I suddenly felt compelled to look down at my hand and in my palm I found green glitter. At first I tried to convince myself I merely touched something that had glitter on it. But then I felt a chill, a warm one, almost as though my Grandma were embracing me. It wasn’t long before I found another piece of green glitter in the palm of my hand. Even after I left I began seeing green glitter everywhere, especially scattered in my room, and I had no glitter that’s for sure. I’ve no doubt that that was my Grandma’s way of comforting me, of telling me that she’s still with me.
My next challenge was to perform at my Choir concert the next day, March 24, 2009. Grandma was planning on going, in fact, she was anxious to come. She couldn’t wait to hear me sing my solo. How could I perform? How could I make it without breaking down? Well, before we set foot onstage I did breakdown. But thankfully, my friends were there to comfort me. They held me as I sobbed, having heard of my loss. It didn’t help that one of the songs we sang was Sing Me To Heaven, I dedicated it to my Grandma though. Before long, my solo came. I sang the solo in Old Time Religion. As I performed I could feel Grandma. She was there with me, onstage. I could feel her love pouring down on me.
Readers, I know that this blog has been sad. My best friend, my confidante, my ‘date’, my inspiration, my Grandma passed away a year ago on March 23, 2010. But she left with us lasting memories, an unforgettable legacy. She was 84 years old when she passed away, just a month shy of her 85th birthday on April 18th, 2009.
Life is short. Another day is never guaranteed. We need to cherish each and every day as if it’s our last. I know that if I had the chance to go back I would’ve done so many things differently with my Grandma, I would’ve stolen more hugs and kisses and just lived in the moment. Be thankful for the time God gives us with the ones we love, be thankful for them. Tell the ones you love that you love them, make sure they know that they’re appreciated, that you cherish each and every moment you share with them.
I am no longer angry at God for taking away my Grandma. She was an angel He sent to earth to enrich and touch others’ lives—and she had done just that in her 84 years of life and so God called her Home. He took away all of her pain, took away all of her worries, and gave her a new and everlasting life with health abundant, happiness abundant, and peace beyond our comprehension.
I know that one day I will see my Grandma again and I cannot wait for that day. I know that the first thing I will do is give her a hug and kiss and tell her how much I’ve missed her. But for once I will be happy and at peace because I’ll know that never again will I have to worry about losing her or any of my loved ones again as we live in peace, harmony, and love under God’s wing.
Life is Beautiful.