I swear I have the most resilient Grandmother who ever lived.

She is well into her 80’s and quite unwell these days.

When she was 55 she had triple by-pass surgery. About 10 years after that it became evident that her memory loss was more than old age. Alzheimer’s. Now is lives in the dementia ward at a nursing home in Penrith. She is a wanderer and this is a safe place for her to be. Her last nursing home was not as safe. I remember getting a phone call from Mum one day when I was at work saying that Grandma was missing. She had wandered right out the front door and to who knows where. It was hours before she found, bruised and looking very worse for wear, 8kms away from the nursing home.

In the last 10 years, as well as Alzheimer’s she has had falls, illness, been missing, lost her husband of 50 years, and each and every time we think its all going to over she bounces back with incredible strength. And the last week has been no exception.

She has been in hospital with pneumonia and a staph infection. And yet a mere 4 days after going into hospital, she is back out and home at the nursing home. She isn’t walking particularly well, but after 4 days in bed its possible that her brain has forgotten how. On the other hand, based on past experience she’ll be fine again in a few days.

If I was to be completely honest with you I would tell you that I often wonder if the resilience of her body is a good thing or not. Her mind is failing her. She has only 4 grandchildren – me and my 3 sisters. We used to spend every school holidays with her and my grandfather. They were a massive part of our lives. And now she doesn’t know who we are. She floats in and out of recognising my mum (her daughter) and spends most days surrounded by nurses and other patients she doesn’t remember from day to day.

My grandparents served God their whole lives. I don’t know if she is aware of who Jesus is anymore – but I trust that he still keeps her and that when she dies she will go home – to be with her saviour with a mind that won’t fail her anymore.

And so I wonder if its a good thing….. and if its ok for me to wonder…