Avoid
There are things in life we all want to avoid. I want to avoid illegal activity, going broke, getting hurt, getting in an accident, and a whole host of other situations. Lately, however, I have been avoiding something that is completely unavoidable: The declining health of my grandparents.
I turn 30 later this year and until a couple of years ago I thought it was normal that I had all four of my grandparents still living on their own. (Well, for that matter, living in general.) I had no idea that this wasn’t normal…it’s what I lived my whole life. I guess deep down I knew that one day I would have to deal with declining health, but that would probably be a long way off.
My paternal Grandmother has now been in a care facility for around 100 days. I visited her there just after the first of the year with my parents, brother, and Courtney. I didn’t say much that day. Truth be told it was the first time I had to think about the eventual loss of one of my grandparents.
I have been avoiding thinking about it ever since.
Do you ever avoid things in your life? Unpleasant things that you know you have to deal with…but put off? Do you think (like me) that maybe if I put it out of mind…it won’t happen?
Both of my grandfathers died before I was born. I'm pretty close with both of my grandmothers – one of them is 96. Not to sound calloused, but I've been preparing for her to since I was a senior in high school. Honestly though, once it happens, I'm sure I'll be woefully unprepared.
That said, there are plenty of things that I know are inevitable but I try not to focus on them too much. Doing that brings me down too much.