Carrie Spence (1920-2007) Isaiah Spence (1921-1983)
Originally uploaded by Lester Spence.
My grandmother passed away last week. She was 87 and had more than a good life. There are a couple of folks who have been using Flickr as a historical repository for photographs of old Jet, Black World, and Ebony magazines, as a place to store scanned slides of twentieth century families. We’ve got pictures for days and what I plan to do is store them here, either under my name or under another account.
What I really wanted to drive home in my comments at the funeral was two things.
First I wanted to drive home the work that my Aunt Sandra did in taking care of my grandmother. My grandmother spent her last days at Sandra’s house, while Sandra bathed her clothed her, made sure that she took her medication, stayed up with her she was sick, drove her back and forth to take care of her errands, etc. My mother did the same thing with her mother. This job is usually thankless and goes without mentioning.
(This job is also the consequence of a bankrupt health policy that puts the burden on regular families, but I didn’t/couldn’t really go there at the funeral.)
The second thing I wanted to drive home was that we are losing our greatest generation, and our last first-step removed connection to enslavement. They leave behind memories in the form of pictures, writings, receipts, etc. We should do our best to retain these memories so that they be passed down.
Thoughts are with you and your family.
Sorry to hear of your loss! Sounds like you are at peace & I am looking forward to your family photo archives. next time you are back, lets make ti a point to meet!
Tafari aKa Bygbaby
My thoughts are with you and your family right now for this great loss…and a greater life lived.
Adrienne Zurub
My condolences for your loss. But why shouldn’t families assume the burden to care for their elders at home? I agree with Ralph Ellison that LBJ was the best president for blacks and the poor. But an unintended consequence of our policy is the marginalization of the elderly and the industrialization of their care. The vast majority (90%) of nursing homes should be blown up. I admit old folks daily who are brought to the hospital by families because they are going on vacation and grandma needs supervision or it’s just too hard and inconvenient to care for them at home. And what’s better is the terminally ill 90 plus year old who languishes in a nursing home but the next of kin want everything done to prolong life. I’m not a soldier or a cop but I’ve seen many ways of dying. None is pretty. However, the best by far is to be at home surrounded by family or going peacefully while asleep.
here’s the question. we expect our working age individuals to WORK. are you now suggesting that they work three jobs (as taking care of an elderly loved one is the equivalent of two)? my grandmother was blessed to be at home when she passed surrounded by her children. but i believe that the state has a role here. (note the class issues that you’re taking for granted with your example….)
Doc I agree the state has a vital role,interesting that we see more privatizing(in case of health care only the well to do can afford around the clock care}.Working class has to take off of work to give assisstance to love one’s.
A couple of things I’d like to see: flexible work schedules and supplemental wage insurance. But ultimately elder care should be a family affair. No one takes better care of you than your own. When the medical profession took over and institutionalized the care of chronically ill elders it gave families and corporate America false comfort. I believe in single payer universal healthcare but services should to be delivered at home. This is one reason why family pets get better care than grandparents.
My condolences to you and your family.