When I first met her, I was young-ish and falling in love with her grandson. It was my first time meeting his family, so I was understandably nervous. But somehow, when Grandma walked in for a short visit, she put me right at ease. I can still remember parts of our conversation.
She was telling me a story about herself in the 1940's, and she started with, "Before you were even a gleam in your mother's eye," or some such beginning. I piped up without thinking, "Before my parents were a gleam in their parents' eyes either." A bit aghast, I waited to see if I'd managed to offend her already.
Grandma just laughed and agreed with me. Then she went on to tell me a funny story about when she worked in a factory. She was ill, so she went to see a doctor. He did all the normal doctor stuff, I'm sure, and then he asked her, "What kind of stools do you have?" Grandma answered, "Three-legged ones." With that, she made me feel right at home.
I loved her five minute visits, I loved going to the Conference Center and hearing her sing along with all her favorite songs, I loved the cards that she underlined for emphasis and wrote sweet notes to my husband and to me to love and cherish each other. I loved her good cheer and the seasonal decorations that she must have found on a great sale, because she had one for everybody. I loved how she was so easy to shop for - every Christmas for a while now I would print off my favorite pictures to show her, which she always seemed to like.
I also admire her for her strength in continuing with faith and raising her family after the loss of her husband. She is part of my father-in-law, my husband, his whole family, and now myself.
I loved seeing her this last Christmas - and I admit I sympathized with her wish to be able to keep having others care for her. I'm glad we got back for a second visit that trip as well.
I'm sorry I couldn't be there to say goodbye today with everyone else. I cried when they told us our third flight was canceled yesterday, and my husband's face showed equal disappointment. Not just that we wanted to say goodbye - we realize that Grandma knows that we love her, but we wanted to be there with her family, with our family. We love you guys, and we've been thinking of you all day.
So, goodbye for now, Grandma. And I hope to see you later.
1 comment:
what a lovely tribute to dan's grandma, julie. i'm sorry for your loss. it sounds like she was a wonderful woman. how difficult it must have been to know that a celebration of her life was going on and you both were supposed to be there and couldn't because of the weather. i'm so sorry!
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