My beloved Gram

In the early hours on Sunday February 15th my grandmother passed away gently into heaven.  She spent her final hours in bed while the snow fell outside.  My grandfather held her hand till the end.  A true love story that consisted of 70 years together.  This might be the hardest post I have had to write because I love my Gram with all my heart. It has been almost a month since Gram passed away. I thought waiting to post would be easier but its not.  My grandmother was so very special to me.  I write this message with tears in my eyes, a lump in my throat and a sad heart.  Clearly, my grandmother was an amazing woman.

In my grandmothers arms 1976

Enjoying water with Gram and Pap

My confirmation and first communion at age 16

Never to big to sit on Grams lap

College Graduation 1999

My wedding day 2002

My brother and I enjoy being with Gram

Gram and I at the beach

Celebrating 60 years

Gram and Pap

Comparing Bellies

Welcoming Isabella

Isabella birthday

Thanksgiving

Isabella's 1st birthday

4 generations

Sophia's birth

Gram feeds Sophia cake

Gram and Pap with grand kids and great grand kids

68th wedding anniversary

Mothers Day at the nursing home

Gram and Bella

Christmas at the nursing home

 I read the 23 Psalm during the funeral but could not get the words out clear as my heart was braking.  How do you speak at a funeral about someone who meant the world to you?  There is not enough time for that much talking so I tried to be brief.  My grandmother was the matriarch of our family.  The center of holidays and get togethers.   Her family was the most important thing to her in this world.   Her prized possession was a photo of Gram and Pap surrounded by kids, grand kids and great grand kids.  She loved to watch the kids create skits on the stage in her house.  Gram always had an open spot at her table to eat.  Even if there was not enough food to go around, she would do her best to make it work.   Gram was a great cook and her recipes live on in our family.   As a child I remember her making mountains of pancakes for  my brother and I to enjoy.  Her fruit salad was enjoyed by many and my cousins and I finished it off pretty fast.  Yum!  A funny story about cooking, my grandmother would use a single can of beer in her chili but was not a drinker.  So she always got a kick out of buying that one can for her recipe.

Not only did my grandmother nurture people but she also nurtured her garden.  My grandmother loved to be in the yard with her fingers in the dirt turning over new life in the soil.  Her beautiful yard even won awards from the city of Bowie.  She enjoyed watching the birds and butterflies in her yard.  One of my favorite memories of her garden was that my grandmother would pitch the rotten tomatoes to me in a game of rotten baseball.  Those are great memories  that I cherish.  In fact she loved gardening so much that her neighbor left a pair of gardening gloves in her casket.  The note attached to the gloves said may you enjoying gardening in heaven making it beautiful as you did on earth.

My grandmother made my life beautiful,  I am the lucky one who has so many wonderful memories to cherish.   I am thankful for her life and her constant presence in mine.  Grandmothers are angels on earth and now mine is one in heaven.

The day of the viewing, my girls asked if they could send something to heaven for Gram.  They each released a ballloon with a wish.  Isabella wished that Gram was happy and Sophia wished that Gram did not die.

I do believe that Gram is now happy and at peace.  I feel her around me when the sun shines, when the breeze blows....she will always be in my heart.

Sent to heaven with love

Years ago I told my grandmother that I did not know how to live a life without her in it.  She said to me, "You will be fine.  Do not spend your days crying and upset that I am not here. I want you to be happy and live life".  Little did I know that years later those words would provide me comfort.   My words can not express the depth of my love for her.  She will be missed by many. Rest in peace Gram, I love you.