#but yeah. it was always nice at parties or weddings when grampy and barbara got to sit next to each other. you could tell they were content

[britneyshakespeare]

my great auntie barbara has been a widow for almost 10 years now. uncle jack died in summer 2014. and with my grandfather gone she's without her only brother too. today was the wake for my grandfather and she looked absolutely beautiful, i told her as much, she was the best-dressed lady there. and it's been almost three years since my grandmother died and you could tell there was a different understanding between her and my grandfather whenever they got together. it became more necessary to invite barbara to extended-family events when her husband died, but after grammy died it was just about mandatory. there was just something about the two of them sitting together, brother and sister, in their 90s having lost their life partners, but sitting with the only other person left that they had known for as long, no, even longer. as far back as they could each remember. they both looked like they were in the company of their favorite living person. so it was hard to see her at the wake although she looked beautiful and she always does; she has a wonderful smile. it must be hard to be the last survivor of your generation. i just hope she goes home and she has something that makes her feel not so lonely.

#tales from diana #after grammy died it could be hard to see grampy. bc he was (i still have to remind myself to use past tense) WAS a very reserved man. #grammy was always the talker. not to mention he was extremely hard of hearing. so he often missed out on convos anyway #grammy would fill him in back when she could. #he was just so much lonelier without her. you could tell he had a personal awkwardness. it's surprising he lasted so long a widower #he turned 95 in july. 95. i dont think anyone in my family has ever lived that long! #who knows if any of them ever will again... #but yeah. it was always nice at parties or weddings when grampy and barbara got to sit next to each other. you could tell they were content #they liked to talk about old memories and things of the like. #lots of pictures at the wake were from his childhood. the best ones were the ones w their dogs or horses #i also have to wonder what it was like for their parents because their firstborn daughter. claire. born 1927 #she died at the age of 2 of whooping cough. and grampy's dad died when he was 18 #apparently he never emotionally recovered from losing claire. understandable. #i suppose grampy's not only with grammy but with his parents and with claire again. but poor barbara #i really do feel for her. i can only imagine the pain and sorrow of my children taking me to my brother's funeral.