So I have only met my grandparents (mom’s side) a couple of times. I believe twice when I was younger (6 and 8 years old) and then when I was 17 and now I’m 25. I made a solo trip to see them a couple years back, and while I had a hard time with communication since English is my native language- they were so happy to see me and I got so much closer to them, honestly I think with me growing up a bit it helped as well.
They live halfway across the world from me, so it is very hard to get time to see them as we live so far and life gets in the way of things. My dad’s side have sadly passed away and I barely knew or got time with them. My mom’s side I am much closer to especially since my trip and we talk almost every night / week. My grandma unfortunately has some form of dementia (I’m not being told clearly if it’s that) but it’s definitely in that realm- she’s 87 or so.
I could tell during my solo trip something was off with her and she also lost so much weight after her spine surgery and she looks very sickly. She has become more forgetful and keeps asking me when I’m going to visit which breaks my heart. I’m unemployed right now because I got laid off so I can make the trip, but that trip last time was honestly extremely stressful for me going alone for a plethora of reasons but the language barrier was hardest with trying to get around the country alone or just managing to take care of them / be the only English speaker from my extended family.
My cousins who live by them are also very unkind to my grandparents, which makes me upset.
told myself the next time I go, it might be my last time seeing them as my grandmas condition is not well, my grandpa is getting old too. I don’t know if I should wait until my family can go with me (there isn’t a set date since they work) or if I should just take this solo trip again despite the troubles I had the first go.
And I also don’t know how to really handle my grandma’s situation as she doesn’t want someone to come in her place and take care of her. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but I do feel like that is a lot for me to take on for one person, let alone a girl who can’t communicate as well as she’d like without any other immediate family members. Old people of Reddit, I’d love some insight on this. Don’t know what the best course of action is, and I’m worried I’ll miss my chance- what if they pass and I didn’t make another trip? My heart breaks for my grandparents 🙁