Sunday, January 26, 2025
What a privilege it was to be a friend of Sandy's. It was through her daughter Andrea, my fitness instructor, that I met her here in Colorado. Sandy and I went out to eat a few times and went on short walks when the weather was not cold. We had a lot in common and were just a few years apart in age. My last visit with Sandy at Andrea's house was about a week before she passed away. Sandy was not able to talk but could answer Yes or No. She had her eyes closed most of the time as she lay in bed. I asked her if she was thirsty and she said Yes. Fortunately, George, Andrea's husband was home and he got her water in her cup and held it while she drank from it. George is a wonderful son-in-law and later he made her cream of wheat and raised her bed and fed her the cream of wheat. When Sandy lay back down, I asked her if she wanted to hear the song Auld Lang Syne and she said Yes. It's a slow version and very comforting. She smiled during the song! A few minutes later I played You Are My Sunshine which was a jazzy tune. She liked it and smiled again! After the song, as I did often, I told her how beautiful she was. She took my hand and held it for a long time. Ahhhh! When I was headed back to my car, I was close to tears. Something tugged at my heart with this visit. Yes, Sandy was an amazing person and very bright. When she was in the hospital before coming back to Adrea's, she remembered several events and dates of those events. I will miss my friend Sandy and her beautiful New York accent. Thank you, Andrea, for suggesting visits with your precious mom, my dear friend.
