A Hard Week

This past week has been an incredibly tiring and difficult one. I am down to the wire on my publishing institute applications, and losing almost two weeks has really sucked.

Last week, I found out that my great-grandpa, who lived in Arkansas, had congestive heart failure and was being given days to live. No one really knew what would happen, but my parents decided to make the drive down to see him one last time, and I went with. I got to see and talk with him on his last good day, last Tuesday. He later got worse and was moved to a hospice. I came back to Peoria Thursday night, and he passed away Friday afternoon. I hadn't planned on going to his funeral, but I knew I'd regret it later if I didn't. So on Sunday we made the drive again, and I spent through Wednesday in Arkansas.

I haven't gone through this, really at all, in my lifetime. I have very young parents, so I've been blessed to grow up having all of my grandparents and 3 great-grandparents around. I don't quite know what's proper to think or feel or say to people. It's just hard. 

Since I've been gone almost two whole weeks, I have so much to do that's adding to the stress and emotion of it all. Not only do I have to catch up in my classes, but I have to hurry and start/finish the applications to the publishing institutes. 

I suppose I write this mostly to vent, and to also explain why I haven't been around and haven't been doing any more planning for the future, but I sincerely hope no one else goes through this this semester.