The Ides of March

I have the gift, or the curse some would say, of remembering dates.  Good ones, bad ones, I don't discriminate.  If the date was significant at all, I usually remember the details which begs the question: is it a blessing or a curse?

Until 1983, March 15 was another day in March.  In the blink of an eye...

Nannie is my mother's mother.  She and Paw-Paw lived ten houses down from where I grew up.  I was blessed to live down the block from my grandparents.  There are endless rewards in being close to grandparents: incredible insight into who your parents are, why you are who you are.  The history, the stories, the undivided/unconditional love and attention.  The time.  Priceless.  In my relationship with Nannie:  endless patience because I was a motormouth.  I talked so much that Daddy asked Nannie one day, "Nannie, does Motormouth talk too much?"  Nannie did not say a word.  She smiled her sweet smile and giggled.  I am one of eleven grandchildren, each close to Nannie as I was, but I am confident that I was her favorite.  :-)

I loved Nannie.  I had as special a relationship with her as I've had with anyone.  I could have done more for her when I was older but I grocery shopped, ran errands for her and spent time wih her.

By March of 1983, my senior year in college, Nannie had been in and out of hospitals a couple of times. She struggled with Congestive Heart Failure among other things.  Although it was spring break, I stayed in town.  Nannie was in the hospital but due to come home.  I remember getting angry with Mom when she told me that she was having a hospital bed moved to Nannie's house.  I didn't want to accept that Nannie would not get better.  Mom understood that she needed to make Nannie comfortable.  I was naive.

Tuesday morning I was at Don's when Mom reached me. She said that Nannie had taken a turn for the worse and I should come to the hospital.  It didn't take long to get ready except that I had at least a 20 minute drive.  I arrived to find Mom and Aunt Patsy in the room with Nannie who was sleeping.  So it seemed.  You know what?  It was just like it is in the movies:  Dumb blonde (yes, I was as blonde) walks into a hospital room.  Two middle age women, clearly sisters, stand in the room a few feet away from the bed.  In the bed is an elderly woman, clearly dead.  Dumb blonde says: "Is Nannie asleep?" Middle age woman, older sister says, "Nan, she's gone."  As dumb blonde falls apart, middle age man, dumb blond's father, walks in, dumb blonde dissolves in father's arms.  (True story!)


In between my sobs, I hear Aunt Patsy say: "Beware the ides of March." I did not click with Shakespeare,  therefore I was clueless.  After a brief refresher in Shakespeare, I understand. Sigh. Another date to remember...


Blessing or a curse?