Well... On January 14th my grandmother had a stroke, and she has been in the hospital since. She hasn't been conscious since it happened, and in the past she has said she wanted (passive) euthanasia in such a situation. As it was clear that her condition wasn't going to improve, the doctors took her off IV therapy a couple of days ago, and earlier this morning she finally passed away.
She would have turned 97 later this year, having lived through two World Wars and seen human society change and develop over almost a full century. I will never forget all the stories she told me, like when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and the Swedish Government called in all men for military service. She worked as a cook at a regiment at the time, and she told me how even the big, rugged men all sat scattered on the ground, inconsolable and crying. It was a powerful story when she told it, as were many others.
This is the first time in my adult life - when I have been able to comprehend what death really means - that I have lost a family member, and well... I guess there's not really a whole lot to say except "this sucks". But at least grandma' had a long life, and her last few years were good years. When a friend of our family recently asked her which time in her life had been the best, she answered: "Now."
She would have turned 97 later this year, having lived through two World Wars and seen human society change and develop over almost a full century. I will never forget all the stories she told me, like when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and the Swedish Government called in all men for military service. She worked as a cook at a regiment at the time, and she told me how even the big, rugged men all sat scattered on the ground, inconsolable and crying. It was a powerful story when she told it, as were many others.
This is the first time in my adult life - when I have been able to comprehend what death really means - that I have lost a family member, and well... I guess there's not really a whole lot to say except "this sucks". But at least grandma' had a long life, and her last few years were good years. When a friend of our family recently asked her which time in her life had been the best, she answered: "Now."
