My maternal grandmother, or Bubbe as we call her, is 97 years old. And until recently she was in great health. In most ways, she is pretty unremarkable (you know, besides being 97), she is an old woman who looks and acts the part. But there is one thing that stands out: her purse.
Standing 4’10” on a good day, and well under 100lbs, my Bubbe has miraculously-strong shoulders. I know this because she carries this incredibly-heavy purse with her wherever she goes. Now this purse is no average handbag carrying a few of life’s necessities. No, this is a full-fledged everything-including-the-kitchen-sink bag; we’ve dubbed it “the Bubbe bag.” It has to weigh at least 30lbs (of course we do not know for sure as we can’t weigh it because she never lets it out of her sight). She carries it with her everywhere: to the bathroom, the refrigerator, across the room to look out the window, where Bubbe goes, so does her bag.
And if any member of our family is seen carrying a large package of any sort we’d always joke “got your Bubbe bag?” We would tease her all the time asking her if she were hiding bodies in there. She would laugh, but instinctively pull the bag even closer to her.
Well, a few days ago she fell out of her bed and ultimately ended up in the hospital for a week. She has some fractured bones and was slightly dehydrated. She’s back home with my parents and is struggling. My parents have purchased a hospital bed to prevent any more falls and are currently looking for a full-time nurse to help care for her. She’ll probably never walk again and will certainly never be the same Bubbe we used to joke and laugh with. I just hope she can keep her bag close to the very end.