Grandma

I've taken a long break from blogging, but with the loss of my grandmother, I am feeling like I need to get some words out about my family, my kids, and of course my grandma/'granny'. Her struggle with breast cancer was arduous and it was long. She battled for FIFTEEN years (with a good break in there in the middle). She did all of this, repeated trips to Fox Chase for chemotherapy and NEVER EVER complained or expressed a desire to quit. I think there are many reasons why she fought....for my grandpa, for my mom, to see her grandchildren get married, to meet her Great grandchildren and even to see Reese find a special girl and welcome her into his life. My kids are so lucky that they got even the short time with her that they had and I honestly do not think that Caroline will EVER forget her. We will continue to talk about her often and we will pay frequent visits to Ompa :) and help him do the things that Granny would want us to continue to do. It will just be sad to not see her looking out the window at us as we do them...but at the same time it will be nice to know that her struggle is over, she is finally at peace and her spirit will live on in all of us.

Explaining death to a three year old is difficult. I think we did the best that we could and Caroline was tremendous during the funeral service. She even requested to sit with Grandpa, completely on her own...as if she knew he needed her love and support. It helped her understand our sadness and I can see her little mind figuring it all out. Oddly enough, we returned home to her fish Diego, also having gone to greener pastures so the cycle of life continues and I'm sure she's wondering what this whole thing is all about.

So I have it time capsuled, I've copied my eulogy here.

When I think of my grandmother I will always think of life’s simplest pleasures because that was what my grandmother was all about. She somehow managed to live a simple life all the while exuding grace and class. She took great comfort in mowing her lawn, baking, looking at photos and sharing them with friends, quiet conversations, warm socks, doing housework, whipping Grandpa’s behind in a game of cards (which I might add we did often), canning her freshly picked fruits and veggies, talking about the latest American Idol episode, and knowing all of the ins and outs of her grandchildren and her great children’s lives. She laughed without making any noise and as a kid, I always knew I’d get my biggest though quietest laugh from her. I’m pretty sure my own daughter figured that out pretty quickly as well. She along with my mom taught me how to cook the most comforting of comfort food for my own family. She and Grandpa always insisted on ducking for cover whenever I got a hold of the hand mixer and the mashed potatoes. I will probably never smell fresh cut grass again with out thinking of her. I will never bake a pie without wishing she was here to eat it with all of us or to offer her advice on how to make it even better next time. She taught me to be humble, yet proud. She taught me the importance of being a good neighbor. She taught me through her battle with cancer that quitting is not an option and that it is possible to handle even the toughest of situations with grace and quiet conviction. She was the greatest of role models and she will be greatly missed. So I leave you with these words as they seem so perfectly fit for my Grandmother, the gardener. It is called God’s Garden.

God’s Garden

God looked around his garden

And found an empty place,

He then looked down upon the earth

And saw your tired face.

He put his arms around you

And lifted you to rest.

God’s garden must be beautiful

He always takes the best.

He knew that you were suffering

He knew you were in pain.

He knew that you would never

Get well on earth again.

He saw the road was getting rough

And the hills were hard to climb.

So he closed your weary eyelids

And whispered, ‘Peace bethine’.

It broke our hearts to lose you

But you didn’t go alone,

For part of us went with you

The day God called you home.

I love you Granny.