This beautiful lady passed away Easter Sunday and was finally able to return home to her Heavenly Father. She was more than just my Grandma, she was mentor, friend, and example. I was privileged to live with her during some of my college years, and Mike and I spent the first 8 months of our marriage there as well.
I have fond memories of doing puzzles together on the dining room table, trips to the store or to have lunch at Marianna's (the german store), and scrapbooking her photos from her traveling adventures. I remember helping her purchase clothes from Blairs on the telephone and how exciting that was to her. I remember how I started to gain weight at her house because she is such a good cook. I also remember that she told me "little cookies won't make you fat".
I remember she would wait up for me to come home from work and I would stand in her doorway and listen to her talk about days that were gone. I heard stories of her life with Grandpa and of her childhood. It was during this time she asked me to speak at her funeral, and I told her I would. (I remember being worried she would die while I lived there and that I wouldn't know what to do) However, she lived for 13 years after I moved out. Every year she would ask "Are you still going to speak at my funeral?" and every year I assured her that I would. Once I asked her what she wanted me to say. She said, "Oh, I don't know. Whatever you think would be good - something nice."
Death is a hard thing. I remember the first morning her things were no longer on the couch. It was a Monday morning, I had dropped my girls off at school and headed straight to Mom's house to help her take care of Grandma. I opened the front door to go in and was greeted by an empty blue couch that for the last 3 years has been covered in pillows and blankets arranged to Grandma's specifications. It was then I realized this was it. Grandma would not be returning to the couch. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized the time for learning and asking questions was gone. Our hours with her were numbered.
It was hard to sit beside her and watch her suffer physically as her body began to shut down. Perhaps the part that is hardest is to see someone who once took care of you now need you to do the same for them. To see someone who was strong become weak. I pondered a lot about life and death and wondered why for some it is so hard to get here, like my cousin Katie's baby Sam, and for others it is so hard to pass on. I have always hoped to die in my sleep, but seeing how well that did not work for Grandma, I have to say that perhaps there is something to the car accident method...
With so many years to plan my talk, you would think it would have been written and ready to go. I thought about it over the years for sure. I made notes of things I might include, and when she got sick and moved to Mom's house I would ask her questions hoping for inspiration on what I should say. But not until it was real did I write my talk. I will not post the whole talk here, but I will put the poem I wrote in memory of Grandma.
Memories-
Grandma’s
yard was a magical place –
Where we
hunted for caterpillars and tried to catch snakes
We climbed
the apple tree and raced sticks in the ditch.
There were
wagon races and wheel barrow rides,
Croquet
games, and even mud pies.
We learned
about planting and harvesting crops,
And of
course we picked flowers – ‘til someone yelled stop!
Her little
brick house had a charm all it’s own
With sparkly
ceilings and wall papered walls
And a place
on the stairs, where you couldn’t stand tall.
There were
closets to hide in, and shelves by the sink
And it was
rare for her not to have juice you could drink.
A clock on
the mantle would chime every hour
And the plants
in her house always sported a flower.
But
Grandma’s toys were the best gems of all -
There were
dress up clothes, made for twirling and spinning –
And a
bowling game you hoped you’d be winning.
Checkers,
and marbles, and horse races too,
There was
never a moment with nothing to do.
The yard was
magical and the house filled with treasure,
Our time
spent with Grandma was truly a pleasure.
Grandma's funeral was Saturday April 6th. Here are some of my favorite pictures from a day spent with family in celebration of her life.
Emily, Courtney on Deborah's lap, and Carolyn at the Friday night viewing
Carrying the casket
Uncle Jerald, Aunt Thelma, and Mom by Grandma's Casket
Bradley, Tyler, and Emily inspecting where Grandma would be buried.
My cousin Bret's daughter
Me by Grandma's Casket. (Jansyn & Emily on the other side)
Bonnie and I with our snowboarding injuries... both occurred at the same resort - is it the resort or the sport that is dangerous?
A picture with all my cousins. We used to take pictures like this every Christmas Eve at Grandma's house. It has been years since we were all together, and who knows when it will happen again. So glad we were all able to spend some time together. Here's to family and childhood memories. Siblings and Cousins make the best friends!
Finally, I really liked what my brother Bradley said about Grandma:
We may never know how such a big heart fit into such a small body. She has blessed our lives and her example will continue to be a blessing to us throughout our lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment