My last living grandma just had a stroke. Her right side is paralyzed, and she's having a hard time talking. She is 87, and we don't know if she's going to make it. My mom flew down to Puerto Rico to be with her. I haven't been back there since we moved to the Western US back in 1982.

I last saw her about about a couple years ago, when she came up to visit my parents in New Mexico. I make a habit of calling her about once a month. I didn't get to call her this month before this happened. She's the first family member that I feel close to that has been in harm's way like this. I wish I could fly down to Puerto Rico and be with her in case she doesn't make it. I don't have any extra money, so I'm stuck here in Utah. The hardest thing to take is knowning that I'm one of her favorite grandkids and that I probably won't be there for her.

Life is not bad most of the time, but at times like this, it surely sucks!