Grandma Dorothy

"The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8

Growing up three miles away from Grandma Dorothy is a blessing I probably took for granted far too often.  The older I get the more precious the memories I have with her become.  After church meals on Sunday is number one!  A talented cook is an understatement to describe the type of chef she was in that farmhouse kitchen!  You wanted fried chicken, you got fried chicken with meatballs on the side.  Or blood sausage for the lucky ones!  Actually, you'd hit the jackpot when it was hamburgers on the stove night, with french fries in the deep fat fryer.  The homemade jelly, strawberry sauce, and bread...those were my favorites.  I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Grandma.  She taught me you didn't work hard enough in the kitchen unless it looked like a tornado whipped through it when you were done.  Rest assured, Grandma, I haven't let you down!  We had the most fun with the now old-fashioned flour sifter.  There is nothing like "snow" falling in the kitchen.  What a cook...

When all the cousins came home from Texas and Hutchinson, Grandma was a saint!  All of us grandkids running wild in the house, through the sprinkler, over the hay bales, through the barn door, up and down the driveway...always reminding us to stay far, far away from "the pit."  Grandma wasn't necessarily running with us, but all those memories had her not far from us.  Of course, those times ended with her voice yelling, "Food's ready!"  How about that mouth-watering food filling the kitchen during deer hunting!  Did I mention she was a fabulous cook?  Let us also not forget that time she rode our makeshift cart behind the three-wheeler! 

Fortunately, because of living so close to Grandma, I saw her at many of my events.  From basketball to choir concerts, to church Christmas programs, I could count on seeing her face somewhere among the crowd.  Plus, the snowstorms!  Zach and I would get so excited when we found out Grandma was getting stranded at our house.  The sleepovers at her house rated right up there as well.  Grandpa Kenny taught us to eat homemade popcorn by dipping the pieces in melted butter, and Grandma made sure we continued that tradition.  Also, she and I had our own figure skating fan club.  Michelle Kwan still does not know this, but Grandma and I cheered on many of her competitions, especially that 1998 Nagano Olympics.  I remember both our hearts sinking in the living room after watching her only take home the silver.  

Among all these memories, sits the true identity of this woman.  There is one thing that stands out about Grandma Dorothy.  Truth be told, she was always taking care of someone...

Her full-time job consisted of working as a CNA at the Madison Lutheran Home, followed by many years at the Appleton Nursing Home.  I visited her every so often at her job, and I saw firsthand how she helped the residents is such an effortless way.  She was a natural caregiver.  She truly loved those men and women.  The stories she would share reflected that.  Her bodily aches and pains also were evidence to the energy she gave to them.  

For a couple years, she was a caregiver to my grandpa, who put up a fight against oral cancer.  Because of her willingness to learn and her abilities to be able to give the care he needed, he was able to spend his remaining days on earth at the farm.  I remember the kitchen sometimes being flooded with syringes and other medical devices, along with foods he was capable of eating.  She made sure she had everything he needed.  She did it all.

The little things too...if you had a knot in your back, you called Grandma.  Man, that lady could work them out.  It usually left you tears, but her tactics did the trick.  A scrape, a bruise, a swollen ankle, you called Grandma.  She'd give you her full assessment of the ailment and you went from there.

It's overwhelming how things change.  Slowly over the last few years, Grandma's life of being the caregiver did a 180.  She went from the one never needing help to the one needing the help.  Dementia can do that to a person, I guess.  What an ugly disease.  It isn't easy watching someone who has persevered through everything, worked endless hours to be self-sufficient, and given help to those in need slowly come to fully rely on others.  The disease has ultimately landed her in the nursing home, filled with both good and bad days.  For years we watched her take care of hundreds of residents, and now we are watching her let the nurses care for her.  

Most days she does okay, but you can tell her mind is not completely in the now.  She knows your name, she knows who you are, she remembers the basics of all our lives, but her stories can be all over the place.  We even get a few chuckles from them along the way.  You need the laughter amidst such a devastating prognosis.  Reflecting on her life before the last five years is what keeps the smiles coming.

However, something about my Grandma has held true her whole life...her love for Jesus Christ.  She was a committed Bible study-goer, with her Bible not far from her.  It would always sit on this end table right next to her rocking chair or in her bag she carried to and from places.  She lived her life serving God and loving Jesus.  She believed whole-heartedly in the heaven awaiting her.  The best part of her faith is she never lost that when dementia became part of her life.  Her Bible now sits next to her bed in her room, and she still knows Jesus.  She still looks forward to walking next to God in heaven.  And, of course, meeting up with Grandpa Kenny.  God's unwavering promise to hold us up is alive and evident in her.

How amazing is it that our God cannot be forgotten when a disease can take away so much of a life.  God remains, and my Grandma is a true testament to the promise of that presence.  His promises are as alive as ever in her.  We don't know what our lives hold in front of us, but my Grandma has taught me a very important lesson.  There is no need to fear it.  God has proven in her life that there is nothing that can overpower Him.  Thank you, Grandma, for being an example of what it means to keep God first in our lives.  

Most importantly, thank you for the love you have given us all.  That love has held a special place in so many of our hearts for many years.  That same love we send back to you.