I had planned to talk about Metformin in today’s post but instead I’m going to share something a bit more personal… I apologize in advance if this is heavier than usual, but I promise there is an important message here.
I’m going through something difficult at the moment. I’m grieving the loss of my grandmother. She passed away on Saturday. 😔 Her heart just stopped. We don’t know why.
My grandma was 79. All her life, she took care of people. She was a stay at home mom of 4, a grandmother of 11, and a great grandmother to 3. She loved to cook. Food was her love language. In 2016, she lost her husband of 60+ years and found herself alone… with no one else to take care of on a daily basis.
We humans are social creatures. We need to interact with other humans. We need to hold others… and be held. We are not meant to live alone, in isolation.
I think my grandmother was lonely. I know she was. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, it made things worse. I can only imagine how isolated she must have felt these past couple of months.
It happened on Saturday afternoon. It was raining outside. I was home… cleaning and doing laundry, with music on. I didn’t like the track that was playing so I picked up my phone to hit next.
That’s when I saw the message from my brother. Sent 27 minutes ago. Two dreadful words: “Grandma passed”.
Ironically, Saturday October 10th was also World Mental Health day.
This isolation thing is not easy. It takes a toll on our mental health… More and more people are suffering -in silence- from anxiety and depression.
I did a lot crying that night. I remembered the last time I hugged my grandma. It was almost 7 months ago, on March 17th to be exact. I hugged her, said goodbye, and headed to the airport… worried and annoyed.
Worried because I didn’t know if I would be able to fly back home (it was the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic: airports were packed and lots of flights were being cancelled). And annoyed because I knew that once I got home I had to self-quarantine for 14 days.
I remember thinking that day: “I shouldn’t have come to Florida”.
I’m sorry Grandma. I wish I had hugged you just a little longer that day. And I wish I had called you more often. I might not know why your heart stopped. But at least now I know that you won’t be lonely anymore… tell Grandpa that I love and miss him too.
*********
I’m sharing this with you because I want you to take a few minutes today and reach out to a loved one you haven’t spoken to in a while. Remind them that you love them, and that you are there for them.
And in case you are the one who is suffering in silence, remember that you are not alone. Remember that it’s OKAY to ask for help. If you need to, you can always comment below, send a DM on Instagram or a private message via Facebook. I read and answer everyone.
Much love, Sara
PS. I probably won’t be posting a lot of fun content this week on our social platforms… but I’ll be getting back to it soon, I promise. In the meantime, there’s a new video in the works… It’s all about Metformin, how it works, how to take it and how to reduce its side effects. It will be uploaded on our YouTube channel this week! Subscribe so you don’t miss it.
Thanks for your support 🙏🏽
