This is my entry for today's #photocontest under #portraitphotography category by @juliank

Good morning my dear steemit family and friends. Today is Friday and this is my entry for today's photography contest authored by @juliank. The theme is portrait photography.

This portrait is my loving grandmother we call her " Nanay". My grandmother passed away on March 21, 2016 at age of 80 years old. The news was not a surprise to me because she's sick, she have a Liver Cancer. Her health had been on the decline in the past couple of years so her passing was inevitable.

I really enjoyed my time with my grandmother when I was a kid she's always there for me she take care of me and also my other siblings, because my parents are working and no one can take care of us. She was fun to talk to and fun to play with. My grandmother was excellent with children-she was beloved by all generations including her great grandchildren.

My grandmother wasn’t a perfect person (as none of us are), but she was a Christian that feared the Lord. I believe her long life was attributed to great family genetics and the fact that she feared the Lord. I believe my grandmother was an example of how fearing the Lord can result in a long lifespan for an individual:
“The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.” (Proverbs 10:27)

I will never forget while my grandmother was at the hospital, she ask my Aunt to call me and to talk to me, then when she was on the phone talking to me, she said that, she wants me to be there she wants me to take care of her. Every night I was there for her with my younger brother we have our overnight stay in the hospital just to look for her even though we have a lack of sleep and even though I have a work early in the morning. It's okay to me because I'm doing that for my grandmother for her to be okay because I love her so much.

My grandmother really did not want to stay at the care facility after she was released from the hospital again. She wanted to stay at home where she could remain independent (at least in her mind). However, my grandmother was in no condition to live alone and needed constant monitoring given her declining health and her mental condition, so her children decided to take care of her per family, we have a daily schedule to look and take care of her. Nevertheless, my grandmother had a dream that seemed to remain in her memory until her passing. She was hallucinating every night. My grandmother dreamt that a man (originally it was described to me as an angel by one of my relatives) told her that she would not experience any suffering when she dies.

The day that she's dying I was not there because I am at the office that time and we have an overtime, my mother was calling me that time she told me that Nanay is dying already, I was very sad to heard that I want to cry that time, I want to go home already but I need to finished my work, I want to talk to my boss to make excuse but they have a meeting that time. So, after work when I got home, sad to say but my grandmother, my nanay was already gone, she died already, I hug her and kiss her and I told her that she can rest now and I whispered to her ears that I love her so much and i;m gonna miss her so much

I was actually upset to the point where you would have no idea that someone important in my family had just died. But after the burial I was calm and quite because I know my grandmother went to Heaven and I know that I will be reunited with her someday.

This original photo was mine, this photo was always in my wallet because she's my guardian angel, wherever I go I know I'm safe and she's there looking at me, and when I'm sad I'll just look at her photo and talk to her, I know it looks crazy talking to a photo, but that's the way to make me feel better. That is the only memory of her that I have.

Thank you for your time and reading my post. Have a good day and God bless everyone! :)

February 23, 2018
San Fernando City, La Union

All photos appearing on this article will not be used in any advertising or publicity, or affiliation with any product or service, without the author's prior written permission. Please be guided accordingly. Thank you very much.

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