The Link to the Past and the Future

If you remember back in January I took a trip down to El Paso to visit my grandma. While I was there I made a promise to her that I would go back during the summer and spend some time with her, just her and I! Building more on the grandma-granddaughter relationship that really started a few years back. In the mean time, I called her about every three days or so and filled her in on what I was doing and she told me what she had been up to. I was so excited to go down there.

Taken in January 2011 on my trip to ELP to see Grandma!

One Sunday in May, as I was sitting in church contemplating when I should go to ELP, I got a picture text from my cousin Veronica. It was of my grandma. She was unresponsive, not getting any fluids, and bedridden. It was my sign. I immediately left church and decided that I had to go NOW. I rushed home as soon as I could and found the next flight and rental car out of here. As soon as I got to ELP I rushed to her side. I was heartbroken. Seeing my grandma the way she was. I spent the next two days at her side. I read to her from the Book of Mormon and reassured her that all would be well. I promised her that I would take care of the family and reassure everyone she loved them and that they loved her. As hard as it was, I also told her that it was ok to let go, to go be with Heavenly Father.

Tuesday when the nurse came she asked who I was and I told them the granddaughter from Alaska. The nurses face lit up because she said grandma had been waiting for me to come be with her and talked about me often. I was so happy to be able to keep my promise to my grandma, even with as little time as I got. That night I left her about 10:45pm. I woke up at 2am completely sick. I felt horrible. At 3:30 the phone rang and I knew. My uncle told us that he thought she had passed. We rushed over to my uncles house to say our last goodbye, but she had indeed passed. The next 12 hours were a blur as I made the necessary phone calls to family to get them into town.

To this day I am grateful for the opportunity to spend those last two days with her. It is something I will hold dear in my heart. It is something although I know I can't share personally with my family, I know that they appreciate it and I was able to share part of the Gospel with her!

I'm lucky to have had my family on their way also. My dad, who lives in Florida, was on his way and got there Wednesday afternoon with family in tow. My uncle david arrived Thursday with his crew. I was fortunate to meet so much family that I've never met, but wished it were on better circumstances. Although I was unable to stay for the funeral since I had already taken a week off of work to spend time with grandma, I was grateful to be able to help plan for it. Although it doesn't fix the heartache of missing the funeral, I know that I had the time that was important, my time with her.

My grandma was an amazing woman. She was always happy and always smiling. I'm sure as she is in Heaven now, she is smiling down on us! I love you Grandma and I do miss you, very much.

Maria Herminia Ramos

April 24, 1927 - May 18, 2011

"Grandparents are a child's link to the past. Grandchildren are a grandparents link to the future."