Actually she was my stepgrandma. She was 86 years old and in a nursing home in Florida. She was a JW and had been active up until the last few years of her Alzheimers disease. They will be having a memorial service in Florida, but not until next saturday, which stinks because I cant make it that late in the week. If they had chosen to have the service on a wednesday or thursday I could have attended, despite the fact that im on a shoestring budget since coming home from Texas. I felt really bad last night that I cant attend, but finally Amanda told me that it was probably best that I cant make it due to the fact that it will be in a Kingdom HAll. She will be cremated, which is definitely not what she wanted. Her husband is still alive and in the same nursing home also. He is 88 years old. I wish I could at least be there for him, but there is no way I can get off until next saturday. Im off for the next 2 days, plus they would give me 3 days bereavement pay which could take me up until friday, but that still wouldnt be enough time. I wish they would just hold a "normal" funeral service like most people and have her buried within 3-5 days, at least I would be able to attend the service, but as we all know there is nothing "normal" about Jehovah's Witnesses, not even in death.
I'm sorry for your loss Junction-Guy and sorry things can't work out for you to be there for your grandfather. Maybe there is some other way you can reach out to him.
My condolences to you. Your heart is in the right place, wanting to go to the services, even if the time constraints and finances aren't. You can only do what you can do. Hold your own private "service" of rememberence, light a candle (or whatever) and say what's on your mind. I believe she IS in a better place and will hear you. Take care.
Dave, I'm so sorry for your loss. I know firsthand how much it hurts to have to say goodbye to someone you love. As I recall, my grandmother's funeral was sad, confusing (not all in English) and full of people I didn't know well.
I agree with Double Edge, that you can have a remembrance for your grandmother all on your own, and it can actually be a lot more meaningful. Then maybe later on, you can head out to Florida to visit her gravesite and leave her some flowers, it needn't be on the day of her funeral. I'll be thinking of you.
Maybe it is best that you aren't able to attend her 'memorial'. I have always found JW memorials to show a sickening lack of consideration for the still living family and friends by not honoring the deceased. They have an agenda.
Why don't you try to call your grandfather instead? I'm sure you'll both be glad you did.
I am sorry. Perhaps you could just go visit your Grampa when you can. There will be so much commotion during the memorial that you wouldn't get any quality time with him anyway.
As for the JW gossip mongers, they will talk if you go or talk if you don't, so just take care of you and your Gramps.
