Grandma

Tomorrow would have been my grandmother's 96th birthday. I miss her a lot.  I wish so much that she knew Kenny and Jack and Max.  I know she would have loved them to pieces and she would have loved seeing me happy.  This past weekend, Kenny's grandmother, Norma Dale, passed away.   I knew when we visited with them over Christmas that she didn't look good and worried that we might not see her again.  Oddly, she died of the same awful Alzheimer's induced issues that Grandma did, and we were in Blacksburg when the call came in, just like we were with my Grandma. 


She wasn't my grandmother and I hadn't known her long, but I loved her and I'll miss her a lot.  She welcomed me with open arms from the very first time I met her and even in the past few years, as she started to lose her memory, she always seemed to be glad to see us, even if she wasn't exactly sure who we were.  She loved Jack and Max too and always remarked about their red hair and how she wished she had it.  She loved holding them and watching them, no matter what they were doing.  I'm sad the boys probably won't remember her but really glad that she got the chance to know them.  I know they brought her some joy and watching her excitement and the love in her eyes when she saw them, brought me a lot of joy as well.

We spent the last few days with the family mourning her loss.  There were so may great pictures and stories told.  She lived a long and full life.  She graduated from high school and had a great career, which was certainly not the norm for women in her generation.  She also raised 3 great kids and was a wonderful wife.  We can all hope to be so fortunate.  Two stories stick in my mind and I hope I won't forget them.  The first was the story of how Grandpa met Grandma.  He was driving through town and spotted her and a friend walking down the street.  He stopped the car and spoke to her and knew he was smitten.  He didn't talk to her too long that day but apparently, as the story goes, as she walked away, she told her friend "that's the man I'm going to marry."  And marry him, she did. They were married 67 years!  I can't imagine life without Kenny but I sure have no idea what 67 years looks or feels like.  What an amazing gift they found in each other.  At the funeral home on Monday evening, I remarked that the picture of Grandma they'd chosen for the altar was really pretty.  Grandpa told me it had been taken when she was in high school and that the kids had wanted to use that one for her obituary but he didn't want to.  He said "she was still the most beautiful lady, even at the very end, we didn't need an old picture."  It brought a tear to my eye then, and has again now.  I'm so sad for him.  I know his heart is broken and there's nothing that can make it better.  I'm so very thankful to have known her and their love for one another and to have gotten to call her Grandma.  That's a very special term in my book.  I know my Grandma would have approved though and I bet that my Grandma greeted her with a great big hug and that they have become good friends.  I love and miss you both...