As I'm reading my friend's blog post about her beautiful grandmother (check her out at writespell.com, you won't be disappointed), I'm reminded of my own beautiful grandmother.
It's 1am when my phone chirps, "Call from...Mommy." "Grandma's in the hospital. They won't tell me anything. Her lips were blue this morning. She fought be all day about coming here. They let me go back to see her, but it wasn't a good time.
"Donna, I need you."
Then at 6am my phone chirped again. "She has pneumonia and congestive heart failure. They say she doesn't have much longer. She will die here in the hospital. Donna, can you please come?"
I went outside as I sat on a conference call with my mom and daughter, holding each other across the miles. 4 generations, separated by a continent, but brought together by Ma Bell.
In the cool of the rain-drenched dawn, I took a walk and remembered. Grandma is MY special family member. She was my pen pal when I didn't have one. She was the first woman to give me the gift of yarn, as she taught me plastic canvas needlepoint. A gift that I've always treasured as I've made Kleenex box covers that looked like birdhouses, or specially designed with Ariel, the little mermaid, for my little girl; as I've made napkin rings, monogrammed coasters and matching place mats for my mother; as I've designed a book to hold all of my princess's earrings. she is a big part of who I am.
Grandma was there for me when my kitten, Wildfire, was run over by a car. She bought me a stuffed cat with 3 kittens Velcro'ed to her tummy to console me (a hefty $30 toy back in the early 1980's).
But I think my funniest memory of Grandma is when we were visiting her home in Fresno, CA. Mom, Brother, Grandma and I were all playing Monopoly (we always played board games when we visited). Next thing Brother and I knew Mom was exclaiming to Grandma, "What ARE you doing?"
We looked at the board. We looked to Mom. Brother said it first. "What? That's a valid move."
Grandma looks Mom straight in the eye and apologizes, "I thought that was the table leg." Turns out Grandma was rubbing her foot up and down Mom's leg. We laughed so hard!
I can't seem to be there physically. At least not yet. But my heart is at Lake Havasu, AZ, right now.
Thank you Nicole. Your memories of your grandmother are so full of love and joy. It brought my own memories to life. I pray your grandmother is doing better.
God bless all of our Grandma's! They really are our special angels.
******Addition*******
On Saturday, October 9 at 3:00pm PDT my family took the time to light candles and revisit memories as we honored Grandma. She's in Heaven now. Riding her Harley in the wind. No helmet necessary. Her smiled that would light the room is now lighting our skies.
We all miss you, Grandma. You meant the world to so many.
(A special "thank you" to my little girl who read this post at Grandma's memorial today. You helped me be there. And I love you so much. Thank you for your sacrifice.)
