A Dear Friend lost her grandmother yesterday. I can sympathize as I vividly remember when my grandmother died. Grandmothers aren't like any other entity on the planet. They hold a unique place that can't be filled by any other person. My grandmother had seventeen grandchildren and I have no idea how many great-grandchildren when she died.
Grandmother wasn't a person you wanted to disappoint. You always did your best because you wanted her to be proud of you. Physically she was a tiny little person, but she cast a long shadow and had enormous influence on her grandchildren.
She died quite a few years ago and yet... there are still times when I would like to talk to her. Times when I would like to bounce things off her.
Funny. Now I'm the grandmother. Life goes on. My granddaughter will be ten years old this next month--halfway to adulthood. I wonder what my grandmother would say to her. Probably the same things she said to me. Treat everyone like you want to be treated. Respect your elders. Don't lie, cheat, steal. Talk to God everyday. Read your Bible everyday. Do more than your share.
That's the important part, isn't it? That we pass on the lessons learned at our grandmother's knee? During the turbulent teen years, we frequently clash with our parents. But grandmothers? No, they're our refuge and our link with the past. So to my Dear Friend, I say I'm sorry your grandmother's gone. I'm sorry for your grief. But time will pass. Grief will pass. Remember the best part of her. Remember all that she taught you. Pass it on.
Anny
If you didn't read Amarinda's contribution to the Crazy blog, then trot over there first. She, uh, must have been having a quick snort when she wrote it. *Anny shakes head in puzzlement.* http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ but we love her anyway.
Floyd snorted impatiently. “Why does everyone insist on calling her “good” Queen Zamidor? She was a horny witch who went through men like Montezuma’s revenge. I did every man in the galaxy a favor!”
“Well, Floyd, that doesn’t make you any less a criminal, just because you think your crime was justified!” Angrily Emmeline stomped down the hallway.
“Where are you going, Emmeline?”
“I don’t know!” She spun on her toes and jabbed one finger in his direction. “It’s all your fault!”
“My fault. I saved your ass and your friends. Without me, they would be a snack for the Pit Keel. Which reminds me. You need to get them into the aerator to clean that zombie juice off them.” Floyd joined Reginald at the pilot array. “How long before we make the time jump?”
Sulking because Floyd had denied him one of the passengers as a snack, Reginald refused to answer.
“Reginald,” Floyd said in an ominous tone. “You remember what happened the last time you sulked? You know I can’t stand sulkers! Do not make me repeat your punishment. If you lose any more toes, you’ll end up crawling.”
Reginald sat down on the floor in a miserable heap. “We make the jump in two minutes.”
Floyd began to chuckle, but soon he was roaring with a deep belly-shaking laugh. “Well,” he said as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I sure hope Emmeline has her dancing shoes on. Otherwise, those fellows of hers will find out exactly what their phallax is for!”
Just a reminder that tomorrow is our day of rest. Check with Kelly on Monday to see what new twist she's added at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/
My grandmother had the onset of dementia for which she took medication. There was the time she forgot she had a frozen chicken in her hand when she went to look at boxes under her bed, tucked it under there, and then went to Hawaii with my parents for a week in Texas August...with the AC turned off. The time grandpa went to look for her at 2am and found her standing in a bedroom closet (very small) with the light on. She got mad at him for finding her and slammed the door on him. The time 10 years ago when she pulled in front of a Hostess ding-dong truck. We teased her for weeks about stealing the goodies. Every one of them are fond memories, things she'd laugh about too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anny, for reminding us of the importance of our grandparents, their influences, their joys, their lessons, and most importantly the overwhelming love we feel for them....here or gone. Blessings to you for it.
Do you know? I believe that chicken must have made it's way to Indiana where MY grandmother lived! She took one out of the freezer and stuck it in the cupboard. No one found it for two days as the dishes in that cupboard weren't used very often. Heh! What a mess.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite story about my grandmother took place when I was a very little girl. My grandfather went in for a minor surgery. A blood clot broke loose and he died in surgery. Well, as you know in Texas they do up a funeral pretty big. Afterwards all the family came out to the homeplace to eat. Since grandmother was one of nine and granddad was one of thirteen, you can imagine there was quite a crowd. Afterwards, they had a softball game and grandmother was the umpire. Always thought that said something really interesting about her as a woman. Grieving went on life-long, but she put others first. Blessings on you, Kelly.
Anny, I must have missed your "sex" blog on my drive home. I am so sorry I did because I would have been all over that in support.
ReplyDeleteAnother one that floors me is the Nancy Drew type books a Christian is meant to write. I'm a Christian and I have sex (gasp). And in Bible times families lived in a single room with their children sleeping around them. Does that make their sexual relationship evil? No. And not wrong either, but blessed and honorable.
Though daily sex for 40 years is envyable. Wow.
My grandmother Elsie always reminded me of a silent movie star with her dramatic gestures and expressive eyes. As a kid she fascinated me. She had boyfriends in the nursing home, wanted to eat everything that was bad for her and she was dramatic til the end. I am sure she is hanging out with Rudolph Valentino in heaven and eating lollies (candy)
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