A Tribute to My Grandma
Hello friends! Welcome to April. I was missing again yesterday, but not without cause. I buried my Grandmother yesterday. You may remember this post I wrote last year honoring her birthday, the day before mine by the way, and not be totally shocked by her passing. You see, she was 97 years old, a full life with a huge loving family. She raised 6 kids, was grandmother to 18, great grandmother of 19, and great great grandmother to 8. My grandmother was the matriarch of our family, and now the torch will be passed on most likely to my mother.
We drove to Tulsa Saturday morning for what would have traditionally been for Easter weekend. Instead, this year family trickled in all day Saturday from around the world, as far away as Austria, to pay respects to Grandma. It was a great gathering of so many relatives. We had 50 at Easter dinner on Sunday at my brothers house. The weather was beautiful, with tempeatures in the 70's and a sunny sky!
It was a bit cathartic to wander around my grandma's house. The only home I ever knew my grandparents to have. It was full of memories for all of us, and as the many levels of generations gathered on Sunday morning after church, you could here laughter and stories being shared and told of their favorite times at grandma's house! The house was alive once again with grandkids! I grew up visiting this home, the orchard lined with peach and apple trees, the swing that hung from the majestic tree in the orchard, and the fun of pretending in the garage apartment! I learned how to make applesauce in her kitchen from the apples we picked in the orchard, and almost every Sunday growing up had Sunday lunch of her famous fried chicken. Every holiday, my grandparents house was the gathering spot. There were easter egg hunts in the side yard, and pictures, pictures, and more pictures. My dad would always say we look like a bunch of tourist with so many cameras!
I am glad there are so many pictures now. My grandmothers shelves are lined with albums. Stories of our lives! Memories frozen in time for us all to relive and share with the generations who didn't know them then! I am lucky!! Lucky to have lived in the same city with my grandparents, to have them be so active in my life, and my children's lives, and to have genuinely felt the love and nurturing from a woman with a heart of gold. My niece gave a beautiful eulogy yesterday, speaking of the generosity and size of my grandmas heart, her love of her garden, and her skills in the kitchen. I learned some of these skills, in the garden, sewing machine, and kitchen from her. I am thankful for that.
Someone turned to me after the funeral and said that those words of affirmation could have as well of been written about my own mother. She learned from the best, the oldest daughter of my grandparents, and big sister to 4 siblings, They were right! I have huge, I mean jumbo size, shoes to fit in to measure up to be the Mimi to my grandchildren that my grandma, and mother have been to my family! What beautiful examples were set before me, yes I feel blessed today! Very blessed!
I am hoping to be back tomorrow with something pretty to share with you, but today, my images are all memories on my heart!
1 comments
Dear Lisa,
ReplyDeleteYou family is in my thoughts and prayers. I lnow how much you love your Grandmother.
Love and Hugs
Karena