My grandmother in Taiwan passed away today. Earlier in the week, my family had moved her out of the hospital into a Buddist temple to live out her final days. I’m not familiar with the traditions in Taiwan, but according to my brother, family members went to the temple daily to pray. They say she passed away looking content and at peace.
Death, no matter how expected, remains a difficult event. But what I learned from this final visit is that love truly grows around good people. You show compassion and humanity towards others and more often than not, you receive a lifetime of love, friendship, and respect. So many people came out of the woodwork to see my grandmother when she fell ill. Even though she wasn’t some VIP or famous individual, my grandmother had clearly touched the lives of so many. And kudos to my grandfather… for over a year, he was her caretaker–giving her baths, cooking her meals, feeding her, dressing her. When she was hospitalized, he endured a 90-minute each-way commute, complete with two bus transfers, to see her every day. Most of the time, she was unconscious, but it didn’t matter. Nothing could stop him from loving her. Not lack of personal transportation, poor eyesight, fragile bones, a chronic cold, or his own old age (85 years).