My grandmother was truly something special. There’s possibly no way for me to sum her up in one simple post. I most likely won’t do her justice, but I loved her more than she’ll probably ever know. She passed away in January of this year at 97 years young. Today would have been her 98th birthday.
She was someone I always looked up to. Her smile and presence could light up any room. She had the best sense of humor. I think this is what most people remember about her. She had a quick wit and what I would call spunk.
I always felt like she had this special zest for life. She was able to just take in the moment and enjoy what was going on around her. I feel like she was probably recording the moments for later because she had a great memory and was a wonderful storyteller.
She loved a great pair of shoes. I think one of her biggest regrets was not being able to wear fancy shoes as she got older. Only kidding here, but you could sense that her Clark slip on sandals just weren’t up to her fashionable tastes. She wore the most glorious statement earrings almost every day. These are probably mine and my sister’s most valuable possessions now. Don’t get me wrong… she wasn’t a flashy or vain woman, but she saw the value in a little mascara and a perm. She wanted to look and feel her best. Always.
Check out this photo book I created for her on her 97th birthday here.
I miss her laugh. It was infectious! She told the best stories about the good ole days when she worked in the cafe. And man could she cook THE BEST burger hands down. Ever. No joke. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. She would say it was all in the meat you picked out, but I think she had just the magic touch. It was probably love… or years of experience in the business. Whatever it was, I’ve never had a better.
I think she loved me and my sister more than anything. She saw us for who we truly were. Her beautiful grandchildren, capable of anything. Nothing more. Nothing less. She came to all the events she could and supported our endeavors. I wasn’t much of a talker – never have been, but she was always ok with just sitting, doing most of the talking, or finding other ways to connect with me. We played a lot of games together. Playing games is still one of my favorite things to do.
I think I got some of my creativity from her. She was a painter and crafter. I most remember her watercolor paintings as those were hanging around my parent’s home. She was very talented. I remember a lot of Saturday mornings waking up at her house to watch painting shows (Bob Ross included). When I was in college we talked a lot about the art projects I was working on in school. I was always so excited to share a new technique I learned with her.
Her home was always welcoming. She’d have a bowl of vanilla ice cream or a hot cup of cocoa (with marshmallows of course) waiting for you when you came. Not to mention a mean game of dominos.
She was a great neighbor. I was always so impressed that she not only knew the names of her neighbors, but knew details of their lives and cared for them. She was a people person and a friend to all.
My grandmother was a Godly, Christian woman who stood for the truth. She wasn’t afraid to speak it when it needed to be said either. She prayed and studied her Bible every day. I loved seeing her Bibles because they were filled to the brim with notes written in her beautiful cursive writing.
She loved the art of penmanship and used it daily in her letters and cards she sent out. She mailed cards to just about everybody for their birthdays and anniversaries and any occasion in between when she felt like it. She also kept a journal for as long as I could remember. She kept impeccable notes for things and could remember dates so well!
When I would call her, she’d always ask about me and then Jeremy. At the end, she’d tell me that she thought of me often and to always take care of each other. That always really stuck with me. She was a widower for more years than she was married and I never met my grandfather. He passed away before I was born. Yet, I still learned so much about what marriage was meant to be from her. She wore her original wedding ring until the last few weeks of her life when she passed them down to my mom to wear.
She was strong, independent, and incredibly loving.
I am so grateful for the memories I have of her. I’ve learned so many lessons in life just by the blessing of having her as my grandmother.
10 lessons she taught me:
- Firmly believe in the Bible and have convictions to speak the truth when needed.
- Have self assurance and don’t be afraid to be yourself.
- A little mascara, a great outfit and jewelry do wonders for the soul.
- Work hard, play hard.
- Take care of your marriage.
- Take care of your family.
- Write. Write others and write down your own stories.
- Love endlessly.
- Tell the people around you that you care about them and love them
- Take advantage of the time you have now.
No matter how much time I spent with her, I wish I had spent more time with her. When you’re young, you think you have all this time. I still consider myself young, but I’m starting to see now just how fast it goes. I pray that all these things continue to be on my heart so that I can strive to be more like her.
So today, I urge you to go and love on your babies, send a text to a loved one and tell them how much you miss and appreciate them. Don’t let things go unsaid. Take advantage of every little bit of time you have with those you love. Be present in the moment. Soak in every detail and store it in your heart for later.
