Grandma

She always had Cocoa Puffs to give us for breakfast when we visited. When I was about 12, I flew to Idaho to visit Grandma and Grandpa for a whole week, all by myself. She took me shopping to choose my favorite colors of yarn for my Grandma-made afghan. She loved Grandpa and they always were comfortable with teasing each other - but only nicely. Her hands knew how to give the perfect backscratch, and in the middle of church she would reach over and tickle my arms just how I liked it. There was always a tissue on hand, or up her sleeve. Her hair was permed for as long as I knew her - in the mornings all she required was a bit of work with a pick to reshape the curls around her head. She always was ready to give us Bubble Yum bubble gum from that drawer in the kitchen. And she made sure to carry a few twenties so that each grandkid had a little poop-away money to buy themselves something just for fun when Grandma came to visit. Her hugs shrank (or I grew) but they were always just as strong. She drove up with Grandpa and stayed with us, in my room. Sometimes I got tired of not having my own place while they visited, but it was good to have them come. She loved music - she loved singing the hymns and she always encouraged me when I wanted to go into the living room across the fresh vacuum tracks to play on the piano. Her smile in my wedding pictures is happy - rejoicing in her posterity indeed. She used to misplace just her purse, or little items. She loved her sisters, and boy! could they ever talk! Some things I found out later, like her very active role in the community where she lived - she was even given an award and written up in the paper. As she changed, losing track of conversations and forgetting the events of five minutes past; she also stayed the same, with a smile for her husband and love for all her family. The last years were the hardest to see - knowing she wasn't always aware didn't really help. Then, in January, Grandpa passed away. I'm glad he didn't have to wait too long for Grandma to be with him again.