Gram
Last weekend was Omi's 80th birthday. To celebrate, Omi (my maternal grandmother) took us all up to Anglin Lake for a birthday supper, and then we all came back to our place at Emma Lake for drinks and music and cake. The dinner was excellent, and I really appreciated the opportunity to see my aunts and uncles and cousins, since this birthday party was the closest thing we've had to a reunion in quite a long time.
In the middle of the party, I got a phone call from my dad, telling me that Gram (his mother) had passed away.
It's hard for me to talk about death without being either flippant or morbid, and I don't want to be either one of those things right now. But I am going to tell you about Gram, since she's been on my mind a lot lately.
Gram was quite the lady. She was one of the most intelligent people that I've ever met, and though the last 95 years had slowed her body, her mind stayed as sharp as ever. She was generous, and considerate, and full of compassion, and she always carried herself with dignity. In every situation, she knew the proper thing to do, and in every instance, she did it. I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time with her growing up, and she was a tremendous example to me, and to my sister too, I think. I learned a lot from her, but then I guess that stands to reason, her being a teacher and all.
Now that she's gone, it's hard to explain exactly how I feel. I miss her, but at the same time, I know that she left this world just the way she wanted to. She didn't suffer, and she didn't have to endure a long hospital stay, which she would have found intolerable, and I take great comfort in knowing these things.
More than any sense of sadness or loss, I just feel such a tremendous sense of gratitude that I had as much time with her as I did. I was incredibly, undeservadely fortunate to have had her as my grandmother, and my reflections over the last few days have brought me far more happiness than tears. All my memories of her are happy ones, and I'll never forget the lessons she taught me or all the things she did for me.
If you met her, you remember something about her that'll make you smile. If you didn't meet her, I feel sorry for you, because you really missed out.
That's all for now,
T.
posted by T. @ 4:30 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Now I'm getting all teary-eyed at work.
I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother. That was a beautiful tribute to her.
Heyya-
I only met her a few times, but there's no question of her awesomeness.
To look waay back, something like uh 15some years ago... and My mind's actually not what it used ta be, but... we all had lunch. she took us to the mall and then bought those comic books at Coles for us to read, and then we went back and read those and.. I think.. possibly.. threw grapes at Caitilin. From, like, the 10th floor balcony or something.
? I'm pretty sure that's what happened.
I mean, that sounds like us :p
but. anyway. I'm glad I met her, even if you and Caiti were lucky enough to really know her. She still found a way to spread the kindness around.
..i just guess eventually it's time to go. 95 years is a good long while, and she even fit a Heidi in there at the end. so there's something to be said for going out on top
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