Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Monday, September 09, 2013

In The Midst of Life

Please pray for the soul of my grandmother, Harriet Merrill Egan, who passed away over the weekend. I take my middle name, Merrill, from her maiden name.

I say "passed away" as the accepted euphemism, which sounds lingering and languid, but it seems, from what the medics tell us, that she died suddenly, just like that, from a heart attack, probably before she hit the floor. I think she would have appreciated that. There was nothing lingering and languid about Grandma -- she was all Irish, brisk and active, "sharp as a whip", as my brother said. She had been ready to go, and when it was time, she went, though we weren't expecting it quite so soon.

Saturday morning I was looking through some photos of the girls that I'd meant to send out to family members in April or May but, true to form, had forgotten all about. I thought that I really ought to send pictures to Grandma, but I wasn't in any hurry. It could wait the weekend, surely, and we were going down to Cincinnati for a last-minute bridal shower for my brother's fiancee, who becomes Mrs. Egan in three quick weeks, and anyway, Grandma was probably coming to the wedding, health permitting. But on Sunday afternoon, as the girls and my mom and I loaded up the van with packages from Crate and Barrel before heading out to the shower, I checked my phone to pull up a map of where we were going and saw I'd missed a text from my dad:

Grandma found dead this morning.

And so, after some quick prayers, we headed out to the shower, trying to think out the logistics of remembering the late Mrs. Egan as we prepared to celebrate the future Mrs. Egan. Again, Grandma would have appreciated that, that life went on and we didn't stop right away and make a big fuss over her when there was a wedding coming right up.

Pray for us, too, as we drive the family out to New Jersey for Friday's funeral.

Grandma singing the old Irish songs with the help of the latest technology.


9 comments:

John Farrell said...

God rest her soul, Cat, and my sympathies to you and your family.

Emily J. said...

Prayers for her soul and your family. Enjoy the time with family celebrating her life. My husband and two older boys went to the funeral of the last of our kids' great grandparents, my husband's grandmother, this summer. Wish we could have afforded to all go because the consolations and the cementing of familial connections were priceless.

Julie D. said...

Praying ...

Jenny said...

Prayers for your grandmother and your family's trip.

Unexpected deaths are hard. My granddaddy died in a similar way when I was 12. One minute all seemed well and the next was a massive heart attack where he died nearly instantly. In his shirt pocket was a folded up coupon advertisement for a statue of Jesus from Raphael's Transfiguration.

mandamum said...

Praying...

entropy said...

I'm so sorry. Prayers for you and her.

Matthew Kinney said...

Harriet will be remembered at the Altar of God tomorrow and Friday mornings. Requiescat in pace, and peace to your family as well.

Brandon said...

You definitely have my prayers.

Donald R. McClarey said...

May she even now be enjoying the Beatific Vision.