Granddad's update...Abby goes to London

Well, my granddad is doing teriffic. He was in high spirits all afternoon and even cracking wise jokes about his surgery. He was very relaxed and happy; not at all tired. After visiting with him for while Abby and my mom decided to go to eat lunch at Freebirds. I was going to wait on Bryan to arrive to the hospital so I didn't go. I was starving. Mimi went down to the cafeteria to get some lunch but I was in no way eating hospital cafeteria food. Plus, I wanted to stay with my granddad and keep him company.

I sat at the foot of his bed and talked with him glancing often at the monitor that displayed his heart rhythm and pulse. It had been at a steady beat of 70 beats per minute. I was making sure it stayed consistent not that there would be any reason why it wouldn't but being a nervous granddaughter I had to look every so often. I know granddad saw me looking at it each time but he never flinched or looked at it. I think he knew what I was doing and he understood, so he pretended not to notice my darting eyeballs peeking at the monitor every 3 minutes as he talked.

When Bryan arrived Granddad was talking about his brother, Johnnie. He asked me if I knew that Johnnie had died over the weekend. I said yes and then rubbed his knee and asked if he felt okay about his brother's death. Granddad is never one to complain or feel down and he quickly assured me that it was okay. He said Johnnie had three wives. His first wife died of gangrene infection when her appendix burst while she was pregnant with their first child, a girl named Dorthea Sue. After his wife died, Johnnie could not bear to take care of his baby so he let his and Granddad's parents raise her. Johnnie remarried a second time and had another daughter named Linda. They were married for awhile and then divorced. His third wife only stayed married to him for a couple of years before they divorced as well. I asked Granddad if Johnnie's first wife hadn't died would he have stayed married to her. Granddad said he believed that so and that they would both still be alive today.

When he said that I realized that Johnnie had lost his first true love early on. Having been a widow he died at 87 years old due to a stroke. He could have fought through it had he had something or someone to keep living for. At that moment I was so grateful that I was there with my granddad to remind him that I love him, I need him, and I am one out of many in his life that he lives for.

I took Abby to the airport today. Her flight left Lubbock at 6:15. She had a layover in Dallas and then she would go from Dallas to London as we all sleep tonight. I told her to call me as soon as she got to her Dallas gate. Expecting to hear from her at no later than 7:30, I became increasingly anxious when 7:50 rolled around and she still hadn't called. I texted and she didn't respond. I texted her again. Still no response. I called her. It rang once and then went to voicemail. I freaked for a minute and then said a prayer for her safety. I felt God's peace and therefore could somewhat carry on. Ten minutes later my phone rang and I jumped up hoping it would be Abby. It was! She said she is on the airplane about to take off. Her next stop would be London. I was relieved and could finally relax enough to read and watch tv.

It had been a long yet rewarding day. I didn't sleep much last night because I was somewhat worried about my granddad. After seeing how well the surgery went today I know I can sleep soundlessly tonight. Abby is somewhere above the ocean right now probably sleeping. We'll only be an ocean apart and yet I feel like she went to another planet. I'm already ready for her to come home!