Friday, June 1, 2012

Grandma; inspiration to us all



My mom said to me today, "I think one of the reasons God might have grandma going through all these different struggles each day is because He wants to continue touching people with her faith through all of this." 


...

All of my grandparents are amazing.


       My Grandma Hartwick was a very healthy and active woman until she had an operation for a brain tumor in 1990. One of the things that could, but was very unlikely to, go wrong went wrong with her surgery, and she was paralyzed on the left side of her body including her left eye and face. Ever since then her health hasn't been the same. Due to this, getting Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion in the 1980s, having celiac disease, and being lactose intolerant, she has struggled through years of health problems and periods of being frail and sick.

Most recently, at the age of 77 they found she had colon cancer.


       Through all of this my grandma has been and still is spunky, positive, smiling, filled with faith and love. Throughout my whole childhood and still this year, she's challenged us all to Scrabble game after Scrabble game... and she wins!! :D



My favorite memories with her will always be singing the songs about Jesus that she always wants me to sing to her, listening to her tell me about her times of being a schoolteacher in a one room school house and about other old times, playing Scrabble, playing "the cat game" when I was a kid (escaping the alligators), drawing with her as a kid, enjoying her caramel roles and apple pie as well as enjoying making things for her like jello beans and banana creme pie pudding, watching mass with her, sending the stuffed bear WhooWhoo back and forth between me and her as a child, and watching her and my grandpa interact every day.


As my aunt Sharon said in her facebook status about a week ago during my grandma's most recent battle with cancer,
"What an inspiration she is. As weak as she is, and as much pain as she is in, she still finds the strength to praise God each and every day."



        This year has been the most special year yet with my grandma. I was so blessed to spend many days by her side over Christmas break, Spring break, Easter break, and these past two weekends. We've had so much fun!! Reminiscing, playing Scrabble, and most of all looking at the beautiful picture of Jesus in her room while singing songs about Jesus and Heaven.

These most recent times in the hospital and nursing home have been beautiful.

It is painful to see her in so much pain.

But it's so good to be with her. ... I've seen it bring tears to my grandpa's, my aunts, and my own eyes hearing her each day as she lays there saying,

"Oh Lord. Oh Lord. .... I love You. I love You. I love You. I love You Lord. ... Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh yes. I love You Lord. ... Oh Lord. Oh Lord. Oh Lord. Yes. Yes Lord. Yes. Yes Lord. ... I love You Lord. Praise You Lord."


When she first woke up from the surgery for her colon cancer she said, "Jesus Christ is my Savior."




... It has been amazing, and I and others have been eternally blessed to see my grandma through all her years praise God in each and every storm.



Grandma has Whoo Whoo with her right now. <3



She always has been and always will be beautiful to me. My cute Grandma Hartwick.<3



I'm so thankful for all the fun times we've had here and for all the fun times we will have together in Heaven with Jesus someday. :)


Thank you all for all your prayers for her and my family. She's still fighting!!

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