Letting Go....

Letting go...easier said than done. To let go of someone you love is painful regardless of the situation. I think the term "having your heart ripped out" was first said from the mouth of an individual that had to let go of someone they held precious to their heart. I don't know for sure, but that is my guess! When a family member or dear friend is leaving this world and preparing for the heavenly realms it is often that the loved ones being "left behind" need to nudge or help that individual cross over. Encouraging someone that you love so dearly, a special someone you can't imagine your life without, that it is safe and OK to let go of this world is the most SELFLESS and loving act one can do for another.
It was 2 yrs. ago this week that my paternal grandma passed from this life into the next one. I was fortunate enough to be with her when she left this world and moved into the afterlife to be reunited with my grandpa (they were together 55 yrs) and many other family members including my mom. My dad, his sister, and my aunt's daughter were also present as grandma made her transition. My cousin (around the same age as me) had never watched somebody physically die. I say physically, because I don't believe we ever truly die. We move from a physical embodiment to a spiritual one. Anyway, like I said she had never experienced such a happening and she shared a close relationship with our grandma. I have to admit while I was sitting there I sort of felt like a pro as did my father because just a year prior we held my own mother's hand as she crossed over from this life to the next one. Our hearts were definitely heavy with sadness. He was losing his mom shortly after losing his wife, but we knew exactly what to expect on a physical level. We sat there giving my aunt and her daughter the play by play. We explained everything from the raspy breathing to the breaths that are held for short intervals which ultimately lead up to the body shutting down completely. My aunt and my grandma were best friends and she stood by grandma every step of the way. Not just in the end, but for years, months, weeks and days leading up to her passing. My grandma was able to take "nine lives" and multiply it by three without batting an eyelash and my aunt was with her every step of the way! I honestly thought gran might live forever because she continuously surprised the doctors and her family. My aunt was having a terrible time emotionally letting go of her mom. Besides being her daughter and best friend she was her caretaker, and when one has such a responsibility on their shoulders it is extremely tough to let that person go. (it doesn't help when someone has more lives than a cat)
But the time had come to let go. We told her (dad and I) that she needed to tell Grandma it was ok to let go. My grams needed that permission, because she was holding on just as much as her daughter was only her body was failing quickly. My aunt whispered to her mom that it was ok to go be with "daddy" (that is what grams called grandpa) and within in minutes, probably less than 5 minutes my grandma drew her last breath. The amazing thing that happened right at the moment her soul left her body, my cousin sitting to my right JUMPED out of her seat and started repeating at the top of her voice "I felt her leave"! "I just felt my grandma leave her body"!(This was repeated approx. 15 times with total shock in her eyes) She was hysterical, and it was awesome! She got to experience first hand that the body does have a spirit and that it does leave the body. You might think..well of course it does. Guess what? She didn't believe in such things. She had questioned God and spirit all her life and it was at the moment of our grandma's passing that she knew there was life after death. Of course if you knew my grandma you might think to yourself, "yeah, she always had to have the last word"! :)
Even though we had to let go of her physically we all hold many good memories, and the love we each shared with her close to our hearts.
Love you gramma and miss you bunches!!!