Virginia Robinson (1922-2009)

Friday morning, April 24, 2009, my sweet grandmother went to be with the Lord. This was such a bittersweet day. Friday was my birthday, but it was really special to me that she entered Heaven on my birthday. It was also a hard day, because we all lost someone who we loved and loved us back.

This week has been one of the most special weeks of my life. Grandma got sick with pneumonia on James' birthday party night (last Friday). My parents took her to the hospital Friday night, and she was admitted early Saturday. Saturday, my sister and I stopped by the hospital to see her on our way to our Ladies Retreat in Salado. She was happy to see us, but couldn't remember our names. She called us all Mike (my dad's name).

Tuesday, my mom became aware that she wasn't going to get better. She told me I'd better come up there and see her at lunch. I covered Jack's carseat with a blanket (James was at MDO) and went up there. That was extremely hard! I cried looking at my sweet Grandma struggling so much with each breath. I heard the nurse tell my mom that the pneumonia and congestive heart failure were ganging up on her. The thought of two things ganging up on my sweet, Southern, beautiful, grandma just made me so sad. My grandma is so unique and such a character. How could this be the beginning of the end!

I cried more that afternoon and pulled it together to pick up James from MDO. That afternoon, my brother left work early and came down from Frisco to see her. Bryon and Josh watched the kids, and the 5 of us (Mom, Dad, Elizabeth, Michael, and I) had an incredibly special time together. We went to dinner and talked about her, then went up and just sat with her and talked to her. She had perked up and was making more sense. She was very agitated though, and was sadly struggling so much. She kept saying how tired she was.

Wednesday was the last day of awareness that she had. My Aunt Susan and cousin Blair flew in my Birmingham. Grandma knew at this point that she was going to pass away soon. She said over and over things like, "Please don't forget me", "Please love me.", "Your boys are so beautiful. Take good care of them.", "Please let me go.", "You're so sweet." She let my parents know how much she appreciated them taking care of her. She told everyone, "You were such a good boy." :)

Thursday, my Uncle Glen and Aunt Fran got here from New Mexico. Grandma was out all day this day. I told her how much I loved her, how I'd think about her every time I sat at my dining room table, which was hers, how I'd think about her every time I made her famous spaghetti. I told her that she was a good grandma, and that I had such great memories of her from childhood.

She wasn't perfect, but it didn't matter to me now. All that mattered was that I loved her, she loved me, and she was family! She was my only grandparent that I ever knew!

It was so indescribable seeing someone slowly fade from life here on Earth, to life in Heaven. You hear about it all the time, but you don't know how amazing it is until you've witnessed it.

Friday morning, I woke up to my dad singing Happy Birthday to me on the phone, and then telling me that Grandma had passed away at 3:00 in the morning. It was a tearful, but joyful morning.
(holding me)




I have thought about her all week long. I miss her. I miss her beautiful face and smile. I miss her beautiful Southern accent. I miss her hilarious Southern phrases, like "Hi theya, Sugah", and "Lawd have mercih." I miss her hilarious messages on my cell phone, like "Uh, yes...this is gran...mama...Vuh..vuh..Vuh-ginia Robinson. Could you tell Lauren that I need Roberta?"

I'll miss her saying, "Oooooh, you are sweet as sugah!!" and "Come heeya and give Grandma a huuuug." and pinching my cheeks (still) and saying, "Oooooo, I love you, love you, love you, love you!" It makes my heart warm just thinking about it!



She was the quintessential Southern lady. Always gracious, always with her pearls on, always offered you a drink as soon as you came over, always stood outside and waved good-bye until you were gone. She went to college, but never worked a day in her life outside the home. She looooved her "Mutha and Daddy" and would talk to their portraits on the wall. I am so happy that she's with Mutha and Daddy now!

I have never been so aware of how life really does end here on Earth, and I've never been so thankful that Jesus died for our sins so that we can live with him in Heaven for eternity! This has made me want to love those around me better, and this has brought so much clarity to me on what is real and what is not real here on Earth. Watching my grandma slowly pass from Earth to Heaven has been such an incredible, bittersweet gift! There really are no words to do it justice.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time for our family!