I Love You, Grandma!

My Grandma has been my very best friend my entire life. As a toddler, I'd climb onto to her lap and say, "Hold your baby." I was her baby from then on. Her pet. She took me to visit her mother and sisters every chance she got and I have wonderful memories of those weekends.

After I got married and had kids, she transfered the "pet status" to Sarah.

She moved into my house and helped me raise my kids when I was hospitalized during their growing up years. She stayed for months at a time sometimes and was indispensible to our family. We all loved her very much.

After my girls had kids, the "pet satus" once again changed and Gage was the lucky one. How she loved it when he came to the nursing home to visit and would crawl in bed with her to snuggle.

Growing up I always told her she had to live to be one hundred and when she did, she laughed and told me she had kept up her end of the bargain.

Sadly, we lost her last Friday at the age of 102. I take comfort in the fact that I got to spend the afternoon cuddling her and telling her I loved her. She opened her eyes at one point and I saw a flash of recognition. I know without a doubt she knew I was there.

The only good thing is that Sarah was here visiting when she died and was able to change her airline tickets so that she and her boys could attend the memorial service yesterday. Did Grandma wait to die so that she could see Sarah one more time? I'd like to think so because after all, Sarah was one of her "pets."

Not many people can say they had a Grandma for 57 years and even fewer can say they had a Grandma that was as wonderful as mine. I'm really going to miss that special lady!

P.S. The picture was taken on July 4th of this year. Wasn't she beautiful?